Russia reported that Ukrainian drones caused an overnight fire at a nuclear power facility in its Kursk region.
These attacks took place on Ukraine’s 34th Independence Day, commemorating its separation from the Soviet Union in 1991.
According to Russia, the strikes targeted multiple power installations. The fire at the plant was promptly put out. A transformer sustained damage, yet radiation levels stayed within normal limits, and no casualties were reported.
The United Nations nuclear watchdog acknowledged being aware of media accounts concerning a transformer fire attributed to “military activity,” but stated it had not verified these reports independently.
Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi emphasized that “all nuclear facilities must always be safeguarded.”
Additionally, a fire erupted at the port of Ust-Luga in Russia’s Leningrad region, which houses a significant fuel export terminal.
The regional governor stated that approximately 10 Ukrainian drones were downed in the vicinity, and the resulting debris ignited the blaze.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that air defenses intercepted 95 drones over Russian territory on Sunday.
Ukraine’s air force stated that Russia deployed 72 drones and decoys along with a cruise missile overnight; 48 of the drones were either intercepted or jammed.
The President addressed the public in a video broadcast from Kyiv’s Independence Square.
“We are constructing a Ukraine that possesses sufficient strength and capability to live in security and peace,” he remarked, advocating for a “just peace.”
“Our future is solely in our hands,” he asserted, while also referencing the U.S.-Russia summit held in Alaska earlier this month, an event many feared would marginalize Ukrainian interests.
“The world is aware of this. And the world holds this in esteem. It respects Ukraine. It regards Ukraine as an equal,” he concluded.