IAEA recorded explosions near the Zaporizhzhia NPP: what is known about the threat.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi reported that on the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) of Ukraine, the inspectors' team heard explosions. International observers saw smoke from a nearby location where one of its auxiliary facilities was attacked on the morning of August 2. The agency's statement notes that inspectors received information about the explosions from ZNPP staff. The information stated that the facility was subjected to shelling and drone strikes starting from 9 a.m. on August 2, around the same time the team heard wartime activity. The auxiliary facility is located 1200 meters from the ZNPP perimeter, and the IAEA team still saw smoke from that direction during the day. 'Any attack near a nuclear power plant — regardless of the intended target — poses potential risks to nuclear safety and should be avoided. I once again call for maximum military restraint near nuclear facilities to prevent further risks of a nuclear accident,' said IAEA head Grossi. Earlier, it was reported that the radiation background at the Zaporizhzhia NPP remains unchanged. Agency specialists at the station did not detect any deviations from the norm. It should be noted that recently there was smoke around the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP caused by a forest fire. The radiation level remained within the norm. During the inspection at ZNPP, the IAEA team saw smoke after an attack on one of the auxiliary facilities of the station. Inspectors received information from the staff of the nuclear power plant about shelling and drone strikes on the facility. The radiation level remains stable for now, but events around the ZNPP continue to pose additional risks to nuclear safety.