The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.Image: keystone
According to Russian information, a Ukrainian drone is said to have killed the chief engineer of the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine.
July 16, 2026, 12:59 amJuly 16, 2026, 12:59 am
“A drone from the Ukrainian armed forces attacked a company car of the nuclear power plant on the border between the power plant premises and the city of Enerhodar,” said the head of the Russian nuclear company Rosatom, Alexei Likhachev, according to a message on Telegram. It was a targeted attack. The driver of the company car also died in the attack.
Likhachev therefore demanded a “clear reaction” from the international nuclear regulator IAEA. The Russian leadership had been informed.
Grossi responds to a request from Moscow
In Moscow, the Foreign Ministry reacted immediately. “We demand from the relevant international bodies, above all the IAEA, a clear and unambiguous statement condemning this murder,” wrote the spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, on Telegram. She specifically mentioned the head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi.
A statement from the IAEA later followed on Platform X. Grossi condemned the incident, describing it as “unacceptable” and a threat to nuclear safety. The organization calls for a cessation of all attacks on or near nuclear facilities and their personnel.
Ukrainian drone attacks on Enerhodar power plant town
The head of the Russian occupation authorities for the Zaporizhzhia region, Yevgeny Balizki, had previously informed Telegram about Ukrainian drone attacks on the power plant town of Enerhodar. There was a complete power outage. According to the information, social objects had to be supplied with electricity via diesel generators.
With six reactors and a nominal output of 6,000 megawatts, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. It has been under their control since it was captured by Russian troops in March 2022. For safety reasons, all reactors were shut down. (sda/dpa)
Russia fires ballistic missiles at Kyiv again
The Russian military attacked the Ukrainian capital Kiev again with ballistic missiles during the night. According to Mayor Vitali Klitschko on Telegram, there were attacks in two parts of the city: fires broke out in a camp in the west of the city and in an uninhabited house in an eastern district. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the Russian military fired at least eight rockets in two waves on the city of three million and its surroundings.