The situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has escalated sharply, with the IAEA reporting explosions.

Officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency reported two explosions near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on January 5. There was no threat to the equipment or personnel. However, the IAEA has raised concerns about the risk of drone usage and the safety of the nuclear facility.

According to IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi on the Agency's official website, the explosions coincided with reports of a drone attack on the plant's training center, which posed an additional threat to nuclear safety at the ZNPP. The mission team recorded two loud explosions outside the plant's territory on January 5 at approximately 12:45 and 15:45. The IAEA has not confirmed any impact from these explosions. The team also reported hearing gunfire from the ZNPP area on several occasions. The IAEA noted that there were no casualties or injuries as a result of the incident, and the plant's equipment remained undamaged.

"An attack on any nuclear power plant is absolutely unacceptable. In light of the heightened military activity near the ZNPP, I again urge maximum restraint to prevent an obvious threat to its safety," Grossi stated.

On December 10, IAEA team members traveling by car to the ZNPP were attacked by a Russian FPV drone. Fortunately, they were unharmed. President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to the incident, stating that such actions by Russia require a strong global response, as silence and inaction would encourage further crimes by the Russians.

Despite this, the Russians continue their offenses: in mid-2024, they began using the ZNPP territory as a training ground for FPV drone pilots. They then practice by shelling Nikopol in the Dnipropetrovsk region while using the ZNPP as cover.