Chief Engineer of Zaporizhzhia NPP Killed in Drone Attack

The chief engineer of the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Alexander Yakovlev, was killed in a drone attack near the station. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) received information from Russia about Yakovlev's death due to the drone strike. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi condemned the attack, calling it unacceptable and a serious threat to nuclear safety, urging an end to strikes on nuclear facilities and their personnel. According to the head of Rosatom, Alexey Likhachev, the drone targeted a service vehicle on the road between the station and Enerhodar, resulting in the deaths of Yakovlev and the driver. Rosatom claims that the attack was carried out by a Ukrainian drone. Ukraine has not yet commented on the incident. The Zaporizhzhia NPP, seized by Russian forces in March 2022, has not been generating electricity, with six reactors in cold shutdown since 2022. The IAEA maintains a continuous presence at the site to monitor safety amid ongoing shelling. Russia has effectively turned the Zaporizhzhia NPP into a military base, placing weapon depots and drone control points on its territory.