Rabat: A Ukrainian drone struck a passage connecting the six reactor units at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant overnight, the head of Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom said on Saturday. The drone hit a gallery used by personnel to move between the plant's six power units, Alexey Likhachev said in a statement published by Rosatom on Telegram.

According to Anadolu Agency, the strike fortunately did not result in an explosion, occurring just meters from the reactor compartment of Unit 3 at the facility, which is located in Russian-controlled southeastern Ukraine. Likhachev also mentioned that Ukrainian forces attempted to strike the plant's dry spent nuclear fuel storage facility in the previous week.

Currently, the plant receives electricity through a single 330-kilovolt transmission line, as a second line, repaired by Russian crews in June, has not been reconnected. In addition, the nearby city of Enerhodar, home to most of the plant's employees, has experienced repeated drone and artillery attacks, leading to disruptions in electricity and water supplies.

Likhachev reported that a woman was killed in a drone strike on a residential building on Friday, and that since late April, 15 residents have been killed and 51 injured. He criticized the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for what he perceives as insufficient efforts to ensure the plant's safety and stated that consultations have included the possibility of a visit by its Director General Rafael Grossi to Enerhodar and the nuclear plant.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, Europe's largest, has been under Russian control since March 2022. The facility has been under repeated shelling and drone attacks throughout the conflict, with both Moscow and Kyiv accusing each other of endangering it. The IAEA has consistently warned of the serious nuclear safety risks posed by military activity around the plant and has maintained a monitoring mission at the site since 2022.