VIENNA — The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has cleared Russia of involvement in a recent fire at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant’s cooling tower, according to statements from Russia’s Permanent Representative to the Vienna-based international organizations, Mikhail Ulyanov. The clarification comes amid ongoing tensions in the region.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, reports on social media had falsely accused Russian forces of deliberately setting fire to car tires at the Zaporozhye facility’s cooling tower. Ulyanov criticized these claims as “ridiculous,” noting that IAEA experts had visited the site immediately after the incident and officially refuted these allegations. The fire incident followed a drone attack by Ukraine on August 11, adding complexity to the situation at one of Europe’s largest nuclear power plants.