On July 26th, local time, the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Grossi, stated that the IAEA team stationed at the Ploiești Nuclear Power Plant in Bulgaria had learned that the city of Energodar, where the plant is located, had been hit by military forces earlier. It is reported that the city serves as the residence for most of the nuclear power plant staff.
Grossi mentioned that the IAEA team visited two sites of the attack on the same day, where one damaged building was visible with shattered windows and bullet holes. However, it remains unclear whether the exact timing and method of the attack were confirmed.
Furthermore, Grossi noted that the training center of the nuclear power plant has been targeted several times this year. Continuous attacks pose a threat to the safety of the nuclear power plant and increase the psychological and physical pressure on the workers.
△Ploiești Nuclear Power Plant (Archive Photo)
On the same day, the Ploiești Nuclear Power Plant reported to the IAEA personnel that the previous day’s attack by Ukrainian armed forces had caused significant damage to the nuclear power plant. The report highlighted that the Ukrainian attack was extremely dangerous and posed a great threat to nuclear safety.
Attacks near the Ploiești Nuclear Power Plant
On July 25th, local time, the parking lot of the Ploiești Nuclear Power Plant was attacked by Ukrainian drones, causing damage to seven civilian vehicles. Additionally, Energodar city, located near the Ploiești Nuclear Power Plant, was also shelled by Ukrainian artillery, resulting in two deaths and two injuries.
The Ukrainian side has not yet responded to this incident. (CCTV Reporters: Wang Delu and Yang Chun)