The IAEA vehicle struck by a drone within the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine. (Image: X/@ZelenskyyUa)
A drone targeted and damaged an official vehicle of the International Atomic Energy Agency on December 10 as it traveled toward the front line in eastern Ukraine during a rotation of IAEA teams at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP). In a video message, IAEA director general Rafael Mariano Grossi condemned the strike as an “unacceptable” attack on IAEA staff working to prevent a nuclear accident during a military conflict.
“No victims”: The armored vehicle was carrying one driver and one security officer who were both unharmed when the vehicle was hit at 2:05 p.m. local time, but the rear of the vehicle was “destroyed,” according to an IAEA update. The vehicle was part of a convoy driving to the handover point on the front line to pick up the IAEA team that had been stationed at ZNPP for the past month.
The driver of a second IAEA vehicle in the convoy saw a drone “coming from behind and slamming into the targeted vehicle,” according to the IAEA.
The incident occurred about 8 kilometers from the front line and within Ukrainian-controlled territory. Earlier in the day, a new team had been driven to the handover point for travel through the Russia-controlled zone to ZNPP.
Grossi condemns attack: “As director general of the IAEA, I condemn in the most firm terms this attack on IAEA staff,” Grossi said in his statement. “Fortunately, there were no victims, and our teams are safe. The rotation has been completed,” he said.
“I have said in the past that attacking a nuclear power plant is a no-go. Attacking those who care for the nuclear safety and security of these plants is also absolutely unacceptable,” Grossi said, calling for “the utmost restraint.”
Grossi led the first IAEA mission to the site in September 2022. The new team that arrived at ZNPP on December 10 represents the 26th mission to Zaporizhzhia.
Zelensky wants “clear and decisive response”: Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky posted about the incident on X, attributing the strike to a Russian drone: “On a road in the Zaporizhzhia region—the region where Russia continues to hold a nuclear power plant hostage—a Russian FPV drone attacked an @iaeaorg convoy tasked with ensuring nuclear safety worldwide,” he wrote. “The strike targeted one of the convoy’s vehicles. Fortunately, there were no casualties or injuries. This attack clearly demonstrated how Russia treats anything related to international law, global institutions, and safety. The Russians could not have been unaware of their target; they knew exactly what they were doing and acted deliberately. This attack demands a clear and decisive response, both from the IAEA and from other international partners. Silence or inaction will only embolden further violations.”
