'Serious incident' at Ukraine power plant as 'Chernobyl 2' nuclear accident fears soar

'Serious incident' at Ukraine power plant as 'Chernobyl 2' nuclear accident fears soar

express.co.uk | Catherine Mackinlay | Jun 5, 2026

A serious incident has been declared at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant as the International Atomic Energy Agency warns of the risk of "nuclear accident." The warning is likely to revive fears of a "second Chernobyl" at Europe's largest nuclear power station, which has repeatedly been caught in the crossfire since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier this year, experts warned that attacks near Ukraine's nuclear infrastructure could trigger a disaster on a scale comparable to the 1986 Chernobyl catastrophe. Ukrainian electronic warfare expert Serhiy Beskrestnov warned that missiles had landed within hundreds of metres of nuclear reactors and said: "A miss by an Iskander or Kinzhal [missile] could turn into a second Chernobyl." An alleged drone strike was reported at the plant last week, which the IAEA said would mark the first attack within the facility's perimeter since April 2024 if confirmed. The latest alarm came after the UN nuclear watchdog said it had been informed of a "serious incident" during today's de-mining phase of an agreed localised ceasefire near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), in which some Russian military personnel were injured.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/2214000/serious-incident-ukraine-power-plant

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