BREAKING NEWS: Drone Strikes UN Vehicle Trying To Inspect Ukrainian Nuclear Plant

UN Vehicle Striked By Drone While Trying to Inspect Nuclear Plant

Cora Smith, Writer

December 12, 2024

A drone attack in Ukraine destroyed the back of an armored vehicle belonging to the International Atomic Energy Agency. ( Volodymyr Zelensky | X )

*A member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expert mission tours the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, ( Fredrik Dahl | IAEA | Reuters ) (via REUTERS)*

On Tuesday, December 10th, 2024, at around 4:43 PM, an unidentified drone struck an armored vehicle belonging to the UN’s atomic watchdog while it was on its way to inspect a Ukrainian nuclear plant. This occurred as the vehicle drove to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

Due to everything that was going on involving Ukraine and Russia at the current moment, the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) as well as President Volodymyr Zelensky both feel like this could’ve been an attack done by Russia, enabling the chance of a nuclear disaster happening if these drones ever hit anything besides the vehicle involved.

According to an article on CNN, President Volodymyr Zelensky does blame Russia and Moscow, which is the capital of Russia where Volodymyr thinks this drone was deployed from, entirely for this situation happening in the first place, definitely regarding all of the past and current issues they have with each other already. ( Rios, December, 10th ).

In a statement located within a Reuters article, Russia’s Defence Ministry didn’t make any mention of the incident within this statement, which ended up being written / published as IAEA monitors were being pushed in and out of the station. ( Berlin, December, 10th ).

However, the statement does suggest that Moscow’s forces do not want to be accountable for the attack that happened within Ukraine.

Within that same Reuters article, ” I condemn in the most firm terms this attack on the IAEA staff,” Grossi, IAEA’s director general spoke. ” We call, once again, as we have done it before, for the utmost restraint. ” ( Berlin, December, 10th ).

*A photo of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, is seen in the background of the shallow Kakhovka Reservoir. ( AP Photo | Libkos, File )*

With everything happening between both Russia and Ukraine, Volodymyr has a record of accusing Moscow of acting reckless and destructive ever since Russia invaded their country. He’s also used it in the past as well by, written in the Reuters article mentioned previously before, as a ‘ shield for troops and heavy weaponry. ‘ ( Berlin, December, 10th )

Along with the drone strike on Tuesday, the IAEA, International Atomic Energy Agency, talked about how its personnel eventually reached the nuclear plant to complete its intended staff rotation.