ASTANA. July 3 (Interfax) - Several staff members of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) were injured in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Raduga substation in Energodar, Rosatom CEO Alexei Likhachev said, adding that this incident discredits the safety and security principle of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
"There were three drone strikes on the Raduga substation in Energodar, which supplies power to the city itself and is part of the Zaporozhye NPP's energy infrastructure, at 10:30 a.m., 10:37 a.m. and 10:47 a.m.," Likhachev told journalists on Wednesday.
A Zaporozhye NPP brigade was restoring power supply at the Raduga substation at the time of the attack, he said.
Eight people were injured, he said.
"This is the first attack that deliberately targeted Zaporozhye NPP staff," Likhachev said.
"Not only does it discredit the IAEA's safety and security principle, but it is also a demonstrative violation. We'd very much like an assessment to be given to it," he said.
"We, for our part, are doing everything possible to ensure that the plant's safe operations and people's comfortable life in Energodar continue, but Kiev obviously has totally different plans," Likhachev said.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Astana on Thursday, he said.
"We cannot impose anything, but we are awaiting their assessments. We remember [IAEA head] Rafael Grossi saying on a number of occasions that the vital infrastructure of cities with nuclear facilities, the life of people and the life of NPP workers are the key sacred elements of nuclear safety and security. They were demonstratively violated more than once today," Likhachev said.
The Zaporozhye NPP workers injured in the strike have received medical aid from the Federal Medical-Biological Agency, he said.