Zaporizhzhia: A Ukrainian combat drone struck the turbine hall building at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, causing an explosion and damaging the structure, Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom said on Saturday. The strike created a hole in the wall of the turbine hall, although the plant's main equipment was not damaged, according to Rosatom's statement.

According to Anadolu Agency, the drone was guided via a fiber-optic control system, ruling out the possibility of an accidental strike. Commenting on the incident, Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev described it as "the first deliberate attack on key nuclear power plant equipment resulting in structural damage to a turbine hall building."

"It is noteworthy that the drone was fiber-optic controlled. This completely rules out the possibility of an accidental hit," Likhachev stated. He further expressed concerns, questioning what could be expected next, and warned about the potential for strikes on critical areas like the turbine, reactor hall, or even the reactor and safety systems.

Likhachev warned that repeated attacks on nuclear facilities were bringing the region closer to a potentially serious nuclear incident. "Today we are one step closer to an incident that could highly likely affect even those living far beyond the borders of Russia and Ukraine, who still believe they are completely safe," he emphasized.