[Herald Economy = Reporter Moon-sook Bae] The Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates — the first large commercial nuclear plant exported by South Korea — was struck in a drone attack, Abu Dhabi authorities said. About 300 Korean employees, including staff from Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), work at the site.
The Abu Dhabi Government Media Office said the Barakah complex in Al Dhafra was hit by a single drone on the 17th (local time), causing a fire.
Barakah is the Middle East’s first commercial nuclear power station built in Abu Dhabi using KEPCO’s domestically developed APR1400 reactor design. KEPCO secured the contract in 2009, and all four units entered full commercial operation in April 2024. Combined, they provide 5,600 MW and now supply roughly 25% of the UAE’s electricity demand.
The media office said emergency teams responded to a fire at a generator located outside the plant’s inner security perimeter. The inner perimeter encloses critical areas such as reactor containment buildings, spent-fuel storage, and the main control room.
Officials reported no casualties and said radiation safety levels were not affected.
The UAE Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) said the plant’s core systems are operating normally. UAE authorities did not identify who was responsible for the attack.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said, “This morning the UAE reported that radiation levels at Barakah remain normal after the strike and there are no injuries,” and added that an emergency diesel generator is supplying power to Unit 3.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi expressed “serious concern” over the incident and warned that military actions that threaten nuclear safety are unacceptable.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE deputy prime minister and foreign minister, told Director General Grossi that “the UAE has full authority to respond to this terrorist attack” and vowed to “use all means permitted under international law to protect the country’s security, territorial integrity, and citizens.”
The UAE Ministry of Defense said it intercepted two drones, but a third struck a generator near the plant. The ministry said the drones entered from the direction of the western border and that it will release more details after completing an investigation into the launch point.
Barakah sits about 280 km west of Abu Dhabi (roughly 174 miles) and is approximately 60–70 km (37–43 miles) from the western border in a straight line.
The strike occurred as a fragile cease-fire involving the United States and Iran remained in place. During the cease-fire, the UAE has seen intermittent drone and missile incidents that officials suspect are linked to Iran.
Iran neither confirmed nor denied involvement. Some Iranian outlets noted that the UAE’s western border adjoins Saudi Arabia and suggested that Saudi Arabia — with which ties to the UAE have recently cooled — could be responsible.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry and KEPCO said they had not confirmed any injuries among Korean staff. Local personnel from KEPCO, KHNP, and partner companies number around 280.
A KEPCO official said, “We have no reports of casualties, and Barakah itself does not appear to have sustained damage.”
The official added, “The attack did not hit a reactor we operate; it appears a fire broke out at an external power facility. After reports of the attack, one reactor temporarily suspended operations as a safety precaution.”
Another official said some local staff have shifted to remote work.
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