NEW DELHI: Russia held Ukraine responsible for launching drones on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station and causing safety concerns. 

Ukraine's military was held responsible for the attack by Russia's nuclear power corporation Rosatom and international energy officials for detonating a drone against the dome that covered the closed nuclear reactor.

As per the International Atomic Energy Agency, the unmanned device exploded near the dome of one of the reactors at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe.

The Russian-installed administration, which was set up after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022, reported the incident. According to Russian officials, no serious damage happened to the reactor and the radiation levels remained normal.

Rosatom claimed that three people were injured in the incident and one suffered serious injuries. 

In a statement posted on the official Telegram channel of the plant, Russian authorities accused the Ukrainian military of using “self-exploding” drones against it. 

“Shelling of Zaporizhzhia NPP and its infrastructure is unacceptable. No nuclear power plant in the world is designed to withstand full-fledged fire from the armed forces. Damage to infrastructure facilities may affect the safe operation of the NPP,” the statement read.

As per a Ukrainian intelligence official, Kyiv did not carry out any strikes on the station, Reuters reported.

Defense Intelligence of Ukraine spokesperson Andriy Yusov, while speaking to Ukrainian news outlet Ukrainska Pravda, said, “The aggressor state is once again endangering the nuclear facility, civilians and the environment of the whole of Europe."

UN’s atomic watchdog agency head Rafael Grossi condemned the attack on the nuclear power plant. 

He said that the attack was "reckless" and "a major escalation of the nuclear safety and security dangers" facing the plant. He further warned that such attacks “significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident”. 

Grossi, in a statement on X, confirmed that at least three direct strikes were made against the main reactor containment structures of the plant.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general said, “This cannot happen. No one can conceivably benefit or get any military or political advantage from attacks against nuclear facilities. This is a no-go."

In another statement, the nuclear watchdog said, “Damage at unit 6 has not compromised nuclear safety, but this is a serious incident with potential to undermine the integrity of the reactor’s containment system".