KYIV: Ukraine said a Russian drone struck a nuclear fuel storage facility near the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear power plant, prompting concern from the UN's nuclear watchdog.
Ukraine's General Staff said a Russian Shahed drone hit a building within the centralized spent fuel storage facility in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. A small fire caused by the strike was extinguished within an hour, it said.
Russia did not immediately comment on the allegation.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it had been informed of the incident and that its team would inspect the site and assess the damage.
The facility, located about 14.5 km from the Chernobyl plant, stores spent nuclear fuel from Ukraine's operating nuclear power stations.
The strike caused significant damage to the fuel reception building, including its facade, windows and doors, while nearby structures were also affected by the blast wave, the IAEA said.
Ukraine's state nuclear operator Energoatom said radiation levels at the facility remained within normal limits. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the attack as "extremely vile" and said Ukraine was informing its international partners about the incident.
"There are no readings exceeding normal background radiation levels," Zelenskyy said on X, adding that the strike reflected "an increase in Russia's brazenness."
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said the incident was "deeply concerning" because it occurred at a site containing large quantities of stored nuclear material. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Russia of systematically endangering nuclear safety, calling such actions "deliberate and unacceptable."
