The chief engineer of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Aleksandr Yakovlev, and his driver were killed in what Russian officials describe as a Ukrainian drone strike on a vehicle at the boundary between the plant’s site and Enerhodar. Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev confirmed the attack and urged a clear response from the IAEA, highlighting that the plant remains under Russian control since 2022. Russia accused Kyiv of carrying out a “terrorist” strike against a critical energy facility and called on international bodies to condemn the incident. The plant, Europe’s largest, has all reactors shut down for safety since the Russian seizure in March 2022. Ukraine did not comment publicly on the incident, while Moscow said the leadership had been informed and awaited a prompt IAEA reply. The situation underscores ongoing tensions around the plant amid Russia’s ongoing control of Enerhodar and the broader conflict with Ukraine.