(AP) – Ukraine has ramped up its attacks on Russian energy sites overnight, according to Russian officials and media. However, Kiev has rejected claims from Moscow that Ukrainian drones were responsible for an incident at a key nuclear power plant under Russian control.
In the Rostov region of Russia, a fuel storage facility caught fire due to debris from a drone, as reported by Governor Yuri Slyusar. He mentioned that residents in the vicinity were evacuated.
Similarly, in southwestern Russia’s Saratov region, drones reportedly caused damage to civilian infrastructure, as stated by Governor Roman Busargin. A local news outlet also highlighted a fire that erupted at a refinery in the capital of the region, Saratov.
In recent months, Ukraine has intensified its operations targeting Russian oil and gas facilities, arguing that these are key to financing Moscow’s ongoing military campaign.
Kiev continues to deny Russian assertions that it attacked the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is the largest in both Ukraine and Europe.
This facility was captured by Russian forces early in the conflict and is located near the front lines in Zaporizhzhya, one of the four regions Russia has formally claimed, despite not having full control nor international recognition of its actions.
Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom claimed on Saturday that a drone exploded after hitting a wall of its turbine hall. Rosatom’s CEO, Alexei Likhachev, accused Ukraine of conducting a “deliberate” attack.
Likhachev reported, “This afternoon, Ukrainian kamikaze combat drones attacked the Turbine Hall building of the No. 6 power plant, causing an explosion,” but he noted that major equipment remained unharmed.
Ukraine’s military dismissed Russia’s claims as part of “further propaganda,” asserting that it had not targeted the nuclear plant. It emphasized compliance with international humanitarian law and the serious implications any action against a nuclear facility could entail.
The military statement noted, “At the time of the incident, there was no active fighting in the nearby front line area, and no weapons were deployed.”
Rafael Grossi, the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, expressed “grave concern” following the reported incident.
Ukraine’s State Nuclear Supervisory Authority mentioned that any damage claimed by Russia needs to be verified by IAEA experts as part of ongoing monitoring at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, the Zaporizhzhia plant has experienced multiple fires, raising alarms over potential nuclear disasters, with both sides accusing the other of targeting the facility intentionally.
In other developments, Ukraine’s air force reported shooting down 212 out of 299 Russian-launched drones overnight. They confirmed that 14 drones reached their intended targets, and fragments fell in five different areas.
Russian drones also targeted an oil refinery in the city of Dnipro and Ukraine’s Rivne region, resulting in a fire. Authorities reported no injuries at the refinery, with emergency services responding to the scene.
