Nov 11 (Reuters) – A Ukrainian drone strike killed an employee of the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in his home in southeastern Ukraine, the 15th to be killed since April amid frequent attacks in the area, the plant’s Russian management said on Wednesday.
Russia seized the Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe’s largest with six reactors, in the first weeks of Moscow’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and each side has since regularly accused the other of military actions liable to endanger nuclear safety.
The town of Enerhodar, where many of the plant’s staff live, has also come under frequent attack.
A statement issued by the plant’s management said the employee was killed at home after finishing his shift.
“The Ukrainian armed forces are continuing to strike homes in Enerhodar and nearby villages,” it said.
“The fatigue from the nonstop shelling and its aftermath is growing rapidly. Living conditions in Enerhodar are directly linked to safety at the Zaporizhzhia plant.”
The plant’s management said a worker was killed earlier this week. Two people, including a female employee, were killed earlier in the month.
The head of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom said in July that the plant’s chief engineer had been killed by a Ukrainian drone near the station.
The Zaporizhzhia plant produces no electricity, but needs an external power supply to keep fuel in the reactors cool.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Jamie Freed)
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