VIENNA - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Thursday said it will maintain the presence of its experts at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) despite a recent drone attack on its official vehicle.

On Tuesday, one of the agency's vehicles heading to ZNPP for a planned staff rotation was severely damaged by a drone strike. Fortunately, staff members on board were unharmed. Russia and Ukraine have since blamed each other for the attack.

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The IAEA, in Thursday's statement, did not specify which side launched the attack, noting that "the drone used was of a model designed to explode on impact, leaving no discernible debris to be recovered for an investigation into the incident."

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"Whoever did this knew exactly what was being done. It was our vehicle that was hit. There was a clear intention to intimidate us," IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said in the statement. "But we will not be intimated by this brazen and deplorable attack. We will stay as long as it is needed and continue our indispensable work."

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Also on Thursday, Grossi, during a meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors, condemned Tuesday's attack as a "direct attack" on the IAEA staff and reiterated his calls for maximum restraint.

IAEA has been deploying its staff to ZNPP to safeguard nuclear safety and security since September 2022.