Explosions heard near Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Russia blames Ukraine - Here's what IAEA said about leaks

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Saturday (August 2) said that its team at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) heard explosions and saw smoke coming from a nearby location. The nuclear plant said one of its auxiliary facilities was attacked today, the IAEA said in a statement. IAEA said that there has been no direct damage to reactors, but it raises global safety risks. "The auxiliary facility is located 1,200 metres from the ZNPP's site perimeter, and the IAEA team could still see smoke from that direction in the afternoon," the nuclear watchdog said. Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and among the 10 largest in the world.

Several reports also indicated that a civilian was killed near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant amid Ukrainian shelling of a nearby industrial zone, the plant's operator said. "As a result of artillery shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the area of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, a fire broke out in the industrial zone. During a site inspection, a damaged civilian passenger vehicle, unrelated to the plant's operations, was discovered. To our deep regret, a deceased civilian was found inside the vehicle," the operator said in a post on social media Telegram. While firefighters worked to extinguish the fire, a fire truck was targeted by a Ukrainian drone, according to the post.

"Once again, I call for maximum military restraint near nuclear facilities to prevent the continued risk of a nuclear accident," said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.

Meanwhile, Russian forces launched a missile attack on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, early on Sunday. The city’s military administration confirmed the strike, and residents reported hearing a loud explosion shortly after midnight, which shook buildings across the area. Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone strike reportedly caused a fire at an oil depot in the Russian city of Sochi, according to regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev.