UAE Barakah Nuclear Plant Drone Attack: What You Need to Know About Safety and Operations
Daniel Kim Views
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UAE Government Media Office says fire extinguished, no casualties
Plant systems operating normally…did not identify those behind the attack
A drone struck the Barakah nuclear plant in Al Dhafra, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, igniting a fire.
On May 17 local time, the Abu Dhabi Government Media Office (ADGO) said in an official statement that a drone hit a generator on the plant’s outer perimeter inside the Barakah complex, sparking the blaze. Emergency crews responded immediately and extinguished the fire, and no casualties were reported, ADGO said.
The UAE Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) said core reactor systems and control facilities remained operational and that the incident had no impact on the plant’s radiological safety.
The UAE government has not publicly identified those responsible for the attack.
Barakah is the Middle East’s first commercial nuclear power plant built around Korea Electric Power Corporation’s (KEPCO) APR1400 design. After South Korea won the contract in 2009, all four units — totaling 5,600 megawatts — entered full commercial operation in April 2024 and now supply roughly 25% of the UAE’s electricity demand.
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