Energodar and Zaporozhye NPP site under continuous attack, says ZNPP official
Quick Look
- Energodar and the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) site are under continuous attack by Ukrainian forces using artillery and drones, according to ZNPP Communications Director Yevgenia Yashina.
- While no casualties were reported, civilian infrastructure, including roofs, windows, and vehicles, sustained damage over the weekend.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) is located in Energodar, a city in Ukraine that has been under Russian occupation. The plant has been a focal point of concern regarding nuclear safety since the beginning of the conflict.
MELITOPOL, May 18. /TASS/. The enemy is attacking Energodar and the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) site virtually continuously, using both artillery and drones, ZNPP Communications Director Yevgenia Yashina told TASS.
"This past weekend in Energodar and at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant site was tense. The Ukrainian armed forces are attacking the plant virtually continuously - both artillery fire and drone activity are being recorded near infrastructure facilities and adjacent areas," Yashina said.
She emphasized that there were no casualties as a result of the strikes over the weekend. However, civilian infrastructure was impacted. Roofs and windows in buildings, and vehicles were damaged, the nuclear power plant’s spokeswoman specified.
Yashina also noted that the situation at the Zaporozhye NPP remains under control. The plant is operating normally, and all technological processes are under the supervision of specialists. No operational safety violations have been detected. Radiation levels are within normal limits, she concluded.
On May 17, the Ukrainian armed forces staged an artillery attack on the nuclear facility’s transport shop. As a result, the building’s roof and several personnel buses were damaged. There were no injuries, and no fires occurred. Yashina previously told TASS that the strikes on transport were an attempt to undermine the plant’s operational integrity. A drone attack on the Raduga substation was also recorded over the weekend. Another Ukrainian drone crashed near the plant’s power units.
In addition, on May 17, a Ukrainian drone struck one of the buildings of Kindergarten No. 10 in Energodar, damaging windows. There were no casualties. On the same day, an aircraft-type drone detonated on the road surface of a residential neighborhood’s yard parking lot in Naberezhnaya Street in Energodar. The attack damaged approximately 15 windows in apartment buildings and about eight civilian vehicles. There were no injuries.
Open Questions
- What is the specific military objective of the attacks on the ZNPP?
- What measures are in place to prevent a nuclear incident?
- What is the international community's response to these attacks?
- What is the extent of the damage to civilian infrastructure?
