IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi disclosed on Saturday that the Agency's team at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) reported hearing explosions and observing smoke rising from a nearby location, which plant authorities confirmed resulted from an attack on one of its support facilities.

In a press statement, Grossi revealed that the team was informed the facility had been targeted by drone strikes and artillery shelling starting at 9:00 a.m. local time—when military activity became audible to the monitors.

He noted that the affected support facility is located approximately 1,200 meters from the plant perimeter and that smoke remained visible from the area into the afternoon.

This marks the latest in a series of incidents in recent weeks and months, further highlighting the ongoing nuclear safety risks posed by military activity near the plant.

The Director General reiterated his urgent call for maximum restraint around nuclear facilities, stating: "Any attack in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant—regardless of its intended target—poses potential nuclear safety risks and must be avoided."