VIENNA, August 17. /TASS/. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported worsening nuclear safety situation at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), following a yet another Ukrainian drone attack on Saturday morning.

"The nuclear safety situation at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) is deteriorating following a drone strike that hit the road around the plant site perimeter today," the international organization said.

According to IAEA, the impact site was close to the essential cooling water sprinkler ponds and about 100 metres from the Dniprovska power line, the only remaining 750 kilovolt (kV) line providing a power supply to ZNPP.

IAEA experts immediately visited the area and reported that the damage seemed to have been caused by a drone equipped with an explosive payload. The attack caused no casualties and no impact on any NPP equipment, but the road between the two main gates of ZNPP was damaged.

"Yet again we see an escalation of the nuclear safety and security dangers facing the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant. I remain extremely concerned and reiterate my call for maximum restraint from all sides and for strict observance of the five concrete principles established for the protection of the plant," IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi was quoted as saying.

Grossi had a phone conversation with Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev on Saturday to discuss the Ukrainian attack. In the early hours of August 17, a Ukrainian drone dropped an explosive charge on a road near the power plant’s power units.