Russia’s state nuclear firm Rosatom reported Saturday that a Ukrainian drone hit the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe’s largest, without damaging critical equipment. Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev described the strike as intentional and said it created a hole in a turbine hall wall. He stated that a kamikaze drone struck the building of Power Unit No. 6, causing a detonation. The plant was seized by Russian forces in March 2022 and lies near the front line in southeastern Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region. Ukrainian forces dismissed the Russian account as propaganda, insisting they did not target the unit. They said their actions comply with international humanitarian law and noted no active fighting or weapons use occurred at the site during the incident. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed it was notified of the drone strike on a turbine building and voiced serious concern. Its chief warned that attacking nuclear sites is dangerous. The agency’s team sought access to inspect the damage. Overnight, Ukrainian drones reportedly caused fires at Russian oil facilities in the Rostov and Krasnodar regions, damaging depots and a tanker. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on the strikes. Separately, Ukrainian tennis player Oleksandra Oliynykova criticized Russian players at the French Open for their positions on the war.
