Attacks on critical infrastructure at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant could cause widespread radioactive contamination, regional lawmaker Renat Karchaa has warned.

On Thursday, July 30, a combat-loaded drone was discovered on the plant’s grounds near a building housing equipment used to transport containers of spent nuclear fuel. The explosive device was neutralized before it could detonate.

Karchaa recalled that Ukrainian forces repeatedly shelled spent fuel storage facilities and buildings containing fresh nuclear fuel in the summer of 2022. According to him, the attacks involved 155 mm shells fired from M777 artillery systems.

He stressed that such facilities could be targeted with weapons other than drones. A direct hit and the destruction of a storage site could breach its containment and release radioactive material into the surrounding area.

The potential contamination zone would be extremely difficult to predict in advance. Karchaa said the scale of the consequences would depend on the extent of the damage, the volume of the release, wind direction and other conditions.