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Drone strike hits generator at Abu Dhabi’s Barakah nuclear power plant
- 21 days ago (2026-05-18)
- David Flin
A drone hit a generator at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra region on 17 May.
African Energy Week 2026
Air defences destroyed two of the three drones involved in the attack. The third drone reached a generator on the plant’s outer perimeter, ignited a fire, and knocked one reactor onto emergency diesel backup temporarily. The UAE Defence Ministry said that the drones were launched from the western border and that investigations to determine their origin were ongoing.
Plant authorities say that the fire stayed outside the plant’s inner perimeter. There were no injuries and radiation levels remained steady throughout the incident. The UAE nuclear regulator confirmed that all four units kept running during the incident. It said: “All units are operating as normal.”
The 5600 MW 4-unit Barakah nuclear power plant was brought online in 2020.