Drone Strike Near Zaporizhzhia NPP Leaves One Dead, IAEA Launches Probe

A drone strike near the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant killed a worker, the IAEA said. The agency is investigating amid renewed safety concerns. Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied (FILES) The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi addresses the opening plenary session of IAEA?s Tenth Review Meeting at the agency’s headquarters in Vienna, Austria, on April 13, 2026. (Photo by Joe Klamar / AFP) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google A drone strike killed a driver near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant , which is occupied by Russian forces, on Monday morning, April 27. According to a post by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on X : Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . “The IAEA has been informed by the ZNPP that a drone strike this morning killed a driver at its transport workshop in the vicinity of the plant site.” An IAEA team, which is permanently stationed at the facility, will investigate the incident and continue monitoring the situation. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi added that “strikes on or near NPPs can endanger nuclear safety and must not take place.” Russia claimed the driver was killed “as a result of a strike by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the territory of the transport workshop of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.” The claim could not be independently verified. On Sunday, April 26, the Zaporizhzhia NPP also experienced another blackout. According to a statement from Energoatom on Telegram , the plant lost external power after the Ferosplavna-1 transmission line was disconnected, forcing it into blackout mode. For about an hour and a half, the facility was powered by 19 backup diesel generators. Energoatom said this was the 15th blackout at the plant since its occupation, warning that repeated incidents increase nuclear and radiation risks for Ukraine and Europe. Other Topics of Interest North Korea’s Kim Reaffirms Support for Russia’s ‘Sacred’ Ukraine War A string of high-level Russian officials have visited North Korea in recent days, with Defence Minister Andrey Belousov meeting Kim on Sunday. The company reiterated that returning the plant to Ukrainian control is essential for safe operations, calling it the only guarantee of safety at Europe’s largest nuclear power facility. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly accused Russia of turning the plant into a military base. In a statement marking the anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster, he said Russian forces are storing weapons at the site, mining its perimeter, and effectively holding the nearby city of Enerhodar “hostage.” He also warned that repeated attacks near nuclear infrastructure demonstrate that Russia “cannot be a participant in civilized international relations,” and called for stronger sanctions and international pressure. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization since 1995. Its international market reach of 97% outside of Ukraine makes it truly Ukraine’s Global – and most reliable – Voice.