Russian air defense forces on Sunday shot down a Ukrainian drone near the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, according to a report by Interfax. The incident, while not compromising the plant’s core safety, caused damage to an auxiliary transformer.
“A combat unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) belonging to the Armed Forces of Ukraine was shot down by air defence systems near the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant. Upon impact, the drone detonated, resulting in damage to an auxiliary transformer,” the nuclear plant’s press service stated on the Telegram messaging app.
Early Sunday, Russia’s REN TV had reported a fire at the plant, also citing the press service. The fire was in a transformer unit located outside the nuclear section of the facility. The press service reassured the public that there were no safety threats to either the plant or nearby residents.
The drone attack is the latest in a series of intensified strikes from both Russia and Ukraine, despite recent diplomatic efforts. Both Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly met with U.S. President Donald Trump last week in a bid to find a resolution to the conflict, which has been ongoing for more than three years.
Russia’s Offensive Continues to Take a Toll
While Moscow contends with these drone attacks, its own military operations continue to cause casualties and damage in Ukraine. According to the Kyiv Independent, Russian KAB aerial bombs and drones struck the Synelnykove district of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, damaging seven houses and a bus.
The attack resulted in one fatality and nine injuries, also hitting critical infrastructure like a gas pipeline and a power line. This follows a wave of Russian missile and drone attacks on August 21, which targeted cities in western Ukraine. That assault killed at least one person and injured 26, causing fires at a major electronics plant in Mukachevo and extensive damage in other cities, including Lviv.