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On Sunday, Russian authorities reported that Ukraine conducted overnight drone strikes on one of Russia’s nuclear power plants in the Kursk region. Kyiv marked its independence day with congratulatory messages, including a message from U.S. President Donald Trump.
The operators and governor of the Kursk nuclear plant announced via Telegram that their air defenses had shot down a Ukrainian drone near the site shortly after midnight local time. This location borders northeastern Ukraine.
**Why It Matters**
Throughout three and a half years of conflict in Ukraine, concerns have persisted over the safety of nuclear sites near frontline clashes. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine has been hit multiple times by shelling and drones, raising fears of increased radiation levels around the site. The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has also expressed concerns about several nuclear plants in Ukraine and Russia, urging “maximum military restraint near nuclear power plants.”
A drone attack on the Kursk plant damaged an auxiliary transformer, sparking a fire but causing no casualties. One of the reactors was operating at 50 percent capacity, with radiation levels remaining normal.
**What To Know**
The Ukrainian military confirmed overnight attacks on Russia but did not mention Kursk in its initial statements. Ukraine’s General Staff reported attacking the Ust-Lega sea terminal in western Leningrad region and logistics facilities in Belgorod and Voronezh regions, as well as an oil refinery in Samara region.
Ukraine has consistently targeted Russian energy infrastructure to cut off Moscow’s access to resources that support its war effort. The Ust-Luga terminal fire was caused by wreckage from a drone operated by Russian natural gas company Novatek. Russia’s Defense Ministry stated its air defenses had destroyed 95 Ukrainian drones in 13 regions and Crimea overnight.
Ukraine marked its independence day, commemorating the declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that when Russia strikes Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, “its oil refineries burn.”
**What People Are Saying**
The acting governor of Kursk region, Alexander Khinshtein, stated: “Strikes on nuclear power plants are not just war crimes; they are a threat to nuclear safety, crossing all boundaries of international conventions.”
**What Happens Next**
It remains unclear whether U.S.-brokered ceasefire talks will progress and prevent future Russian strikes or Ukrainian targeting of key Russian sites.
