VIENNA, June 21. /TASS/. The damage to the Luch substation in Energodar, a city located near the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (ZNPP), has had a direct impact on nuclear safety and security, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said in a statement posted on the agency’s website.

"The damage sustained by the Luch sub-station had a direct impact on plant staff who live in Energodar, immediately adjacent to the plant, and therefore also an impact on nuclear safety and security. It is therefore essential that energy infrastructure be protected and preserved at all times," Grossi said.

Any attack affecting the power supplies to a nuclear power plant would be "a violation of the seven indispensable pillars for ensuring nuclear safety and security", he said, emphasizing that there "must be a secure off-site supply from the grid for all nuclear sites.

On June 19, four Ukrainian drones hit the Luch substation in Energodar, destroying the city’s main energy facility. As a result, the city was left without energy and water supplies for several hours.