Russia said a drone hit an auxiliary transformer at the Kursk nuclear power plant, about 60 km from the Ukrainian border, forcing a 50% reduction in one reactor’s operating capacity.
The blaze from the downed drone was extinguished, with no casualties or increased radiation, the plant said. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported radiation levels near the site were “normal.”
The defense ministry said Russian forces intercepted at least 95 Ukrainian drones across more than a dozen regions, including around St Petersburg. In Leningrad region, debris from roughly 10 downed drones ignited a fire at the port of Ust-Luga, home to a large fuel export terminal, officials said.
Both sides reported battlefield gains. Russia said it captured two villages in eastern Donetsk on Saturday. Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said Kyiv’s forces reclaimed three other villages in Donetsk, which has emerged as a focal point for peace talks.
At Independence Day events, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said: “This is how Ukraine strikes when its calls for peace are ignored.” He added: “Today, both the US and Europe agree: Ukraine has not yet fully won, but it will certainly not lose. Ukraine has secured its independence. Ukraine is not a victim; it is a fighter.”
Zelenskiy said meeting Vladimir Putin would be “the most effective way forward,” and that a foreign troop presence after the war would be “important” as Kyiv works on potential security guarantees.
Canadian prime minister Mark Carney, visiting Kyiv, said it was not “the choice of Russia how the future sovereignty, independence, liberty of Ukraine is guaranteed.”
U.S. special envoy Keith Kellogg attended the celebrations, where Zelenskyy awarded him the Order of Merit. Zelenskyy, asked about reports Washington had revoked permission for deep strikes inside Russia, said Ukraine had recently used its own weapons and did not consult the United States.
Russia and Ukraine also said they exchanged 146 prisoners of war and civilians each on Sunday. Russia controls about a fifth of Ukraine, including Crimea, annexed in 2014. President Vladimir Putin has rebuffed calls for an immediate ceasefire.
(jh)
Source: The Guardian, AFP