Ukraine has attacked the dome above the mothballed reactor at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the Russian-controlled Nuclear Power Plant Authority said in a statement.
It was not immediately clear what weapons were used in Sunday's attack on the nuclear power plant, which Russian troops occupied shortly after a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but Russia's state-run nuclear agency Rosatom announced that the facility had been placed under administration. Drone attack.
According to nuclear power plant officials, radiation levels were normal and there was no serious damage after the attack. However, Rosatom later announced that three people were injured in a drone attack, particularly near the cafeteria at the site.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has experts on the scene, said it had received information from the Russian-run power plant that a drone exploded at the site, and that the information was “consistent” with IAEA observations. .
IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi warned both countries to refrain from actions that “endanger nuclear security.”
IAEA experts received a report from ZNPP that a drone exploded at the scene today. Such explosions are consistent with IAEA observations. The Director-General stated, “I strongly urge you to refrain from actions that contradict the IAEA's five principles and endanger nuclear safety.'' @rafaelmgrosi Said.
— IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency ⚛️ (@iaeaorg) April 7, 2024
The nuclear power plant is the largest in Europe and features six Soviet-designed VVER-1000 V-320 water-cooled and water-moderated reactors containing uranium-235. There is also spent nuclear fuel at the facility.
According to the plant manager, Units 1, 2, 5, and 6 are in cold shutdown, Unit 3 is shut down for repairs, and Unit 4 is in what is called a “hot shutdown.”
The plant remains close to the front lines, and both Ukraine and Russia have repeatedly accused the other of attacking the plant and risking a potential nuclear disaster.
battle on the front lines
A woman was killed early Sunday when a car she was traveling in in Russia's Belgorod region was hit by debris from a crashed Ukrainian drone, local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
In a statement on the messaging app Telegram, Gladkov said air defense forces shot down four Ukrainian military drones approaching the city of Belgorod, injuring four more people, including two children.
Belgorod Oblast, which borders Ukraine, has been under regular attack by Kiev's military since 2022, and in December, a single missile attack on the city of Belgorod killed 25 people.
The Russian military announced on Sunday that it had destroyed 15 Ukrainian drones over the border between Belgorod and Bryansk regions.
The military added that 12 of the 15 drones were destroyed over the Belgorod region.
Ukraine has been launching drone strikes in several border areas for months in an effort to push back advancing Russian forces.
“Ukrainian drones destroy the occupiers. They protect the lives of soldiers on the front lines. And they will help Ukraine reduce Russian forces,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday. he said in a post on social media platform X.
“In the air and at sea, our drones have proven that Ukrainian power can defeat Russian evil,” he added.
Ukrainian drones destroy occupiers. They protect the lives of soldiers on the front lines. And they help Ukraine reduce Russia's strength.
In the air and at sea, our drones have proven that the power of Ukraine can defeat the evil of Russia.
Thank you to everyone who was involved… pic.twitter.com/AFPAiLlyyW
— Volodymyr Zelensky / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 6, 2024
But President Zelensky also emphasized that Russian attacks continue in frontline areas such as Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia.
Kiev announced on Sunday that three people were killed in a Russian attack on the city of Hryaypol in the southern Zaporizhzhya region.
“Two men and a woman were killed under Russian shelling, trapped under the rubble of a private house,” Ivan Fedorov, head of the region, said on social media.
Officials added that a woman was also killed in the city of Kupiansk in northeastern Kharkiv region, which has seen an increase in attacks in recent months.
Meanwhile, Russia launched a new offensive in the main city of Kharkiv on Sunday, a day after a deadly attack, wounding five civilians, Kiev said.
Two Russian attacks on Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, left eight civilians dead and at least 10 injured on Saturday, regional officials said.
“We must end this terrorism,” President Zelenskiy said.
President Zelenskyy said in a video conference on Sunday on the Kiev-sponsored fundraising platform United 24 that it was important for the US Congress to approve military aid to Ukraine as the war continues to escalate.
“We need to specifically tell Congress that if Congress doesn't support Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war,” he said.
“If Ukraine loses the war, other countries will also be attacked.”
