Ukraine and Russia traded new accusations after overnight attacks hit energy infrastructure in both countries, while Kyiv rejected Moscow’s claim that a Ukrainian drone struck the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Ukraine carried out another round of overnight strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, according to Russian officials and media, as Kyiv denied Moscow’s claim that a Ukrainian drone hit the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
The attacks reported early Sunday affected sites in southwestern Russia, where regional officials said drone debris sparked fires and damaged infrastructure. Rostov Gov. Yuriy Slyusar said on Telegram that debris from drones ignited a fuel storage facility, forcing evacuations from nearby homes.
In Saratov province, Gov. Roman Busargin said civilian infrastructure was damaged. Astra, an independent Russian news channel, reported that an oil refinery was burning in the regional capital of Saratov.
Ukraine has increased strikes on Russian oil and gas targets in recent months, saying the sector helps finance and sustain Moscow’s invasion, now in its fifth year.
The latest reports came as Russia accused Ukraine of attacking the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, the largest nuclear facility in Ukraine and Europe. Russian forces seized the plant in the first weeks after the February 2022 invasion, and it remains near the front line in the southern Zaporizhzhia region. Russia has claimed annexation of Zaporizhzhia and three other Ukrainian regions, though it does not fully control them and the claims are not internationally recognized.
Russia’s state nuclear company, Rosatom, said Saturday that a drone tore a hole in the wall of a turbine hall and then exploded. Rosatom CEO Alexei Likhachev accused Ukraine of carrying out a “deliberate” strike.
“This afternoon, a Ukrainian kamikaze combat drone struck the turbine hall building of Power Unit No. 6, resulting in a detonation,” Likhachev said.
He said the plant’s main equipment was not damaged.
Ukraine’s military rejected the accusation, calling it “yet another propaganda ploy.” In a statement, the military said it did not strike or target the nuclear facility and said it follows international humanitarian law while recognizing the “consequences of any actions targeting nuclear facilities.”
“Along the relevant section of the front line, there was no active fighting at the time of the incident, and no weapons were used,” the military said.
Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, expressed “serious concern” after the reported incident in a post on X.
Ukraine’s state nuclear supervisory agency said the damage described by Russia should be verified by IAEA experts who are stationed at the Zaporizhzhia plant as part of a long-term monitoring mission.
The facility has repeatedly been caught in the conflict since Russia’s full-scale invasion began, raising ongoing concerns about the risk of a nuclear accident. Russia and Ukraine have each accused the other of intentionally targeting the plant.
The broader drone war also continued overnight. Ukraine’s air force said Sunday that Russia launched 299 drones and that Ukrainian defenses shot down 212 of them. The air force said 14 drones reached their targets, while debris from drones fell in five locations.
Authorities said Russian drones struck the city of Dnipro and an oil refinery in Ukraine’s Rivne region, causing fires.
Oleksandr Koval, head of Rivne’s regional administration, said no injuries were reported at the refinery and emergency crews were working at the site.