Ukraine urges IAEA to act after alleged Russian strike on nuclear fuel storage facility

Ukraine on Sunday urged the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to take immediate action after accusing Russia of carrying out an overnight drone attack on a nuclear storage facility in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.

Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Smyhal said a Russian drone struck one of the buildings at Ukraine's Centralized Spent Fuel Storage Facility, causing a fire that was later extinguished.

The attack partially damaged the structure, he said, stressing that it posed an “unprecedented threat to nuclear and radiation safety.”

“Such actions create risks to critical systems essential for the safe storage of nuclear materials and represent a blatant violation of international law, the principles of nuclear safety, and the IAEA fundamental safety principles,” he wrote on US social media company X.

Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of deliberately targeting the nuclear infrastructure facility.

“As of now, there are no readings exceeding normal background radiation levels,” he said on US social media X. “But there is certainly an increase in Russia’s brazenness, which long ago went off the charts.”

Zelenskyy also said Russian forces struck civilian infrastructure in 13 regions across Ukraine.

“In total, over the course of this past week, Russia launched 88 missiles, more than 3,250 attack drones, and around 1,800 guided aerial bombs against Ukraine,” he said.

In response, the IAEA said on US social media X that its team at the Chernobyl site would soon inspect the facility to assess the impact of the attack.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi described the incident as “deeply concerning,” stressing that “attacks on nuclear sites are completely unacceptable and in direct contravention of key nuclear safety principles.”

Russia did not immediately comment on Ukraine’s allegations regarding the attack on the spent fuel storage facility.