Drone Strike Hits Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Staff Hours Before IAEA Chief's Visit

A drone exploded at a bus stop near the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on August 18, 2026, killing one specialist and wounding 17, mostly plant employees, per Russian reports confirmed by the IAEA. The IAEA reported no nuclear damage but urged an immediate halt to attacks on nuclear facilities. The strike preceded a scheduled safety inspection by IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi. The plant's six reactors have been shut down since Russia seized the facility in 2022. The strike follows previous drone attacks that killed the plant's chief engineer on July 15 and hit internal infrastructure on August 2, signaling a sustained campaign targeting specialized personnel at a site dependent on a shrinking workforce to maintain cold shutdown safety protocols.