Sirens sounded at night in most parts of Ukraine, while experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency reported powerful explosions near the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine.

According to a statement published on the agency’s website, eight powerful explosions shook the windows of the administrative buildings yesterday, Thursday 1/26/2023. Russia, for its part, considered the IAEA’s statements regarding explosions around the station provocative.

The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, said on Thursday that experts from the agency at the Ukrainian Zaporizhia nuclear plant reported that strong explosions occurred outside the facility, while an official at the Russian nuclear company, « Ross Energy Atom », denied these news and described them as a « provocation ».

Grossi said that the explosions indicate the presence of military activities in the vicinity of the facility, which is on the front line of the ongoing conflict in the country.

However, the advisor to the head of the “Rose Energy Atom” company, Rinat Karcha, said that this news aims to convince the public of Russia’s inability to ensure nuclear security.

Karcha added that « artillery clashes were taking place at that time, but they were far away, » noting that « there were no explosions in or near the nuclear plant area. »

In the context, the pro-Russian authorities in Donetsk accused the Ukrainian army of targeting the region with about 300 rockets and artillery shells during the past 24 hours.