---
title: "UN nuclear chief says number of attacks on Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has increased, TASS reports"
description: "MOSCOW, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said on Friday that the number of attacks on the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine had increased, Russia's TASS state news agency reported."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Ukraine war"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-02-07-un-nuclear-chief-says-number-of-attacks-on-zaporizhzhia-nuclear-plant-has-increased-tass-reports/"
published: "2025-02-07T12:47:05"
updated: "2025-02-07T12:47:07"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 168
---

# UN nuclear chief says number of attacks on Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has increased, TASS reports

> MOSCOW, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said on Friday that the number of attacks on the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine had increased, Russia's TASS state news agency reported.

By Reuters · Published 7 February 2025, 14:47 SAST · Updated 7 February 2025, 14:47 SAST

## Key points
- In a high-stakes game of nuclear chicken, Grossi's Moscow talks with Rosatom reveal that while drone fragments may be too ambiguous to assign blame, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant remains a hot potato in the ongoing Ukraine-Russia debacle.
- IAEA chief Grossi held talks in Moscow with Rosatom's Alexei Likhachev regarding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
- Russian forces seized the plant in 2022, claiming the region as part of Russia, a stance Kyiv vehemently opposes.
- Rosatom accused Ukraine of ongoing attacks on Energodar, near the nuclear facility.
- Grossi stated that drone fragment analysis couldn't determine the attack's origin, emphasizing the need for high-level international dialogue.

## Content

Grossi was speaking after holding talks in Moscow with Alexei Likhachev, head of Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom.

Russian forces took control of the plant soon after the start of the war with Ukraine in 2022 and Moscow has said the Zaporizhzhia region, which it does not fully control, is now part of Russia, an assertion which Kyiv rejects.

Rosatom said in a statement after the Grossi-Likhachev talks that Ukraine was constantly carrying out attacks on Energodar, the closest town to the nuclear plant.

But Grossi was quoted by TASS as saying that it was impossible to determine which side was carrying out the attacks based on the examination of drone fragments.

"The small fragments of plastic or wood left by the alleged drones do not allow us to speak about the origin of these fragments. However, I would like to assure you that I am raising these issues at the highest level of international discussions," Grossi was cited as saying.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Mark Trevelyan/Andrew Osborn)