Zaporizhzhia nuclear worker killed by drone, IAEA says

The International Atomic Energy Agency said a drone strike killed an employee of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine on Monday, calling it the latest incident to affect personnel at Europe's largest nuclear facility.

The IAEA also said an employee of the nearby Zaporizhzhia Thermal Power Plant, a conventional fossil-fuel power station, was killed by a drone on Monday.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi condemned the deadly strikes, saying they violated indispensable nuclear safety pillars, according to the agency.

Zaporizhzhia was captured by Russian forces in March 2022 after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Its six reactors have been shut down since 2022, and IAEA teams have had a permanent presence at the plant since September 2022.

Russia and Ukraine regularly accuse each other of attacking the site, which sits on the Dnipro river near the front line.