UAE slams drone strike near its nuclear plant

ABU DHABI: A drone strike on Sunday triggered a fire near a nuclear power station in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, authorities said, reporting no injuries or impact on radiation levels.

However, the UAE condemned the unprovoked attack, calling it “a dangerous escalation” and claiming that the country reserved the right to respond.

The UAE’s ministry of defence said the drone that targeted the facility was one of three that “entered the country from the western border direction”. It added that two other drones had been “successfully” dealt with.

The projectile struck “an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the Al Dhafra area”.

The Barakah Nuclear Power Plant began operations in 2020 and is 200km west of Abu Dhabi, near the borders with Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

The plant provides up to a quarter of the oil-rich UAE’s electricity needs.

“Investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the attacks, and updates will be disclosed upon completion of the investigations,” the ministry added.

The UAE “condemned in the strongest terms the unprovoked terrorist attack” and “will not tolerate any threat to its security and sovereignty under any circumstances.

“These attacks constitute a dangerous escalation, an unacceptable act of aggression and a direct threat to the country’s security,” a foreign ministry statement said.

United Arab Emirates’ foreign minister told International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi that the country has the full right to respond to such attacks.

While condemning the attack, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said, “Military activity that threatens nuclear safety is unacceptable.”

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2026