Russia accuses Ukraine of drone strike on Kursk nuclear plant as Kyiv marks Independence Day

Russia accused Ukraine on Sunday of launching dozens of drone strikes, including one that triggered a fire at a nuclear power plant, as Ukrainians marked 34 years of independence from the Soviet Union.

Officials in Moscow said a Ukrainian drone hit the Kursk nuclear power plant, about 60 km from the border, damaging an auxiliary transformer and forcing one reactor to cut output by half. Ukraine has not commented on the claim. The fire was quickly put out, and the plant reported no casualties or change in radiation levels.

The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed radiation readings near the plant were “normal” and repeated its warnings about the risks of fighting near nuclear sites since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Russia’s defense ministry said at least 95 drones were intercepted across more than a dozen regions on Sunday, the day Ukraine celebrated its 1991 independence. Some drones were downed far from the frontlines, including near St Petersburg. In the Leningrad region, falling debris caused a fire at the port of Ust-Luga, a major fuel export terminal. The governor said about 10 drones had been intercepted there.

Ukraine has relied heavily on drones to strike Russian targets, especially oil and fuel facilities that fund Moscow’s war effort.

Kyiv, meanwhile, said Russia launched a ballistic missile and 72 Iranian-made Shahed drones, of which the air force shot down 48. A Russian drone strike killed a 47-year-old woman in Dnipropetrovsk, according to the regional governor.

On the ground, Russia said it had captured two villages in eastern Donetsk on Saturday. Ukraine’s commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi countered that his forces had retaken three other villages in the same region, now central to ongoing peace talks.

At an Independence Day ceremony, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared: “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.”