Despite talk of peace by Russia and Ukraine, the deadliest European war since World War Two is continuing along the 2,000-kilometre (1,250-mile) front line, accompanied by missile and drone attacks deep into both countries.
Ukraine launched a drone attack on Russia on Sunday, forcing a sharp fall in the capacity of a reactor at one of Russia's biggest nuclear power plants and sparking a huge blaze at the major Ust-Luga fuel export terminal, Russian officials said.
Russia's defence ministry said at least 95 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted across more than a dozen Russian regions on 24 August, the day Ukraine marks its declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
The Kursk nuclear power plant, located just 60 kilometres (38 miles) from the Ukrainian border, said air defences shot down a drone that detonated near the facility just after midnight. The explosion damaged an auxiliary transformer and forced a 50 per cent reduction in the operating capacity of reactor Number 3.
The plant reported that radiation levels remained normal and no injuries were recorded from the fire triggered by the drone strike. Two other reactors are idle, without generating power, and one is undergoing scheduled repairs.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, said it was aware of reports that a transformer at the Kursk plant had caught fire due to military activity. It stressed that every nuclear facility must be protected at all times.
Further north, at least 10 Ukrainian drones were downed over the port of Ust-Luga in Russia's northern Leningrad region, according to regional governor Alexander Drozdenko.
Also Read : Russia captures five Ukrainian villages in past week: Report
Debris from the attack ignited a fire at the Novatek-operated terminal, a major Baltic Sea fuel export hub and processing complex.
Unverified footage shared on Russian Telegram channels appeared to show a drone flying directly into the fuel terminal, followed by a massive fireball and thick black smoke rising into the sky.
“Firefighters and emergency services are currently working to extinguish the blaze,” Drozdenko said, adding there were no injuries.
Novatek said the Ust-Luga complex, which opened in 2013, processes gas condensate into products including light and heavy naphtha, jet fuel, fuel oil and gasoil, and facilitates international exports. The company exports naphtha mainly to Asia, including China, Singapore, Taiwan and Malaysia, and supplies jet fuel to Istanbul.
Russia’s civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, reported that flights were grounded for hours at several airports overnight, including Pulkovo airport in the Leningrad region.
In the southern Russian city of Syzran, Ukrainian drones also struck an industrial enterprise, the Samara region governor said. A child was injured in the incident, although details of the target were not provided.
Earlier this month, Ukraine’s military said it had hit the Syzran oil refinery. Sources told that the Rosneft-owned refinery was forced to suspend production and crude intake after the attack.
There was no immediate comment from Kyiv. Ukrainian officials have previously said that strikes inside Russia are carried out in response to Moscow’s continuing attacks on Ukraine and aim to destroy infrastructure deemed vital to Russia’s overall military effort.
Follow us
