In an official statement, Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev detailed the incident, stating that a Ukrainian kamikaze combat drone struck the turbine hall building of Power Unit No. 6, resulting in a subsequent detonation. He confirmed that while primary equipment remained intact, the explosion did tear through the structure's wall. Likhachev characterised the strike as "deliberate." Ukraine did not immediately issue a comment regarding the allegation.

Escalating fears of potential nuclear incident near frontlines

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, seized by Russian forces in March 2022, is situated in southeastern Ukraine in close proximity to active frontlines. Throughout the four-year-long conflict, the facility has periodically come under fire, continuously fueling global anxieties over a catastrophic nuclear accident.

Warning of the wider geopolitical risks associated with attacks on the plant, Likhachev stated that such incidents bring the region one step closer to an emergency that would likely impact populations living far beyond the borders of Russia and Ukraine.