Moscow has accused Kiev of carrying out dozens of drone strikes, including one that sparked a fire at a nuclear power plant while Ukrainians were celebrating 34 years of independence from the Soviet Union, The Guardian reported.
A drone attack on the Kursk nuclear power plant in western Russia, 60km from the border with Ukraine, damaged an auxiliary transformer and forced Russian authorities to reduce the reactor's operating capacity by 50 %, Russian sources told The Guardian. Ukraine did not immediately comment on the alleged attack.
The fire caused by the downed drone has been extinguished and the plant said there were no casualties or increased radiation. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog, said radiation levels around the Kursk plant were "normal". The IAEA has repeatedly warned of the risks of fighting near nuclear power plants since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
The Russian Defense Ministry said at least 95 Ukrainian drones were intercepted over more than a dozen Russian regions on Sunday, when Ukraine celebrated the anniversary of its 1991 declaration of independence.
Ukrainian drones have also been shot down in areas far from the front line, including St. Petersburg in the northwest. Firefighters responded to a fire at the Ust-Luga port in the Leningrad region, where a large fuel export terminal is located. The local governor said about 10 Ukrainian drones were shot down and debris caused the fire, as reported by The Guardian.
The Ukrainian military, which is at an arms disadvantage, is relying heavily on drones to respond to the Russian invasion, especially in attacks on oil infrastructure, to hit one of Moscow's main sources of revenue.
Meanwhile, Ukraine said Russia attacked with a ballistic missile and 72 Iranian Shahed attack drones, 48 of which were shot down by the Ukrainian air force.
Russia recently claimed new successes in the war, including the capture of two villages in the eastern Donetsk region on Saturday. Ukraine's commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Sunday that Ukrainian forces had recaptured three more villages in the Donetsk region, which has become a focal point of the peace talks, he told The Guardian. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the independence anniversary ceremony, he said: "This is how Ukraine attacks when its calls for peace are ignored."
"Today, both the US and Europe agree: Ukraine hasn't completely won, but it certainly won't lose. Ukraine has secured its independence. Ukraine is not a victim, it is a fighter." quoted by The Guardian.
Zelensky also said that a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin would be "the most effective step forward" given the stalled diplomatic attempts to end the war. He also said the presence of foreign troops in Ukraine after the war ends would be "important" as Kiev seeks security guarantees with its allies.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carneywho visited Kiev on Sunday, said: "It is not up to Russia to decide the future sovereignty, independence and freedom of Ukraine."
American Special Envoy Keith Kellogg also took part in the Independence Day celebrations, during which he was awarded a state decoration by the Ukrainian President.
Asked about reports that the US had revoked permission for attacks deep in Russian territory while Donald Trump was seeking to broker a peace deal with Putin, Zelensky said Ukraine had recently used its own weapons to attack Russia and had not consulted Washington, he told The Guardian.
Also on Sunday, Ukraine and Russia announced that they had exchanged 146 prisoners of war and civilians in the latest exchange, which remains one of the few areas of cooperation between the two countries.
Russia now controls about a fifth of Ukraine, including the Crimean peninsula, which it annexed in 2014.
The Guardian/gnews.cz - GH
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