According to Russia’s Smolensk NPP, in the area of unit 3 of the plant, a combat unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) launched by the Ukrainian armed forces was brought down by technical means. When it fell, the device detonated, as a result of which several windows in the unit building were damaged. The damage was minor and there were no injuries.
The incident did not affect the operation of the enterprise: currently, all three power units are in operation at the Smolensk NPP. The total capacity is 2,982 MWe. The radiation background at the industrial site of the plant and the surrounding area did not change.
Rosatom said it “strongly condemns these senseless, irresponsible actions of the Ukrainian military and considers them absolutely unacceptable”.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) confirmed that a Ukrainian UAV was suppressed by electronic warfare forces over the Smolensk NPP. “The Armed Forces of Ukraine continue provocations by attempting attacks with unmanned aerial vehicles on Russia’s nuclear energy facilities. On 17 August, electronic warfare forces suppressed a fixed-wing drone (the Ukrainian-made Spis strike UAV) over the territory of the Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant. This foiled a terrorist attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on a nuclear energy site,” the statement said.
Russia’s Defence Ministry also confirmed the event. “On 17 August, an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack using an aircraft-type drone on the infrastructure of a nuclear power plant in the Smolensk Region was thwarted. The Ukrainian drone was intercepted in the Smolensk Region’s airspace,” the ministry said.
Smolensk NPP comprises three RBMK reactors, all nearing the end of their design life. The first unit was commissioned in 1982 and has had its lifetime extended until 2027. The second unit’s permit, which expired on 29 May 2025, has now been extended to 2030 and the third unit’s permit expires on 14 December 2034. A replacement NPP, Smolensk-II is being built 6 km away from the existing plant. RBMK reactors do not have the robust containment or sophisticated safety features that the later VVER reactors have. A direct strike could have caused serious damage.
