©Vladyslav Cherkasenko via Unsplash
A Russian drone has damaged a spent nuclear fuel storage facility near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. This was reported by the Ukrainian authorities. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Starmer will receive Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in London on Sunday. All this while Putin trashed Zelensky's peace proposal.
A Russian drone damaged a spent nuclear fuel storage station at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. No fuel would have been present at the time of the attack. The government reports that radiation levels in the region remain stable.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the attack caused significant damage and the shock wave also damaged surrounding buildings. An on-site IAEA team will visit the facility to assess the impact. The repository is about 15 kilometers from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, where the major nuclear disaster occurred in 1986.
"This is not the first time Russian forces have endangered Ukrainian nuclear facilities," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X. According to him, a Russian drone damaged the protection arch over the Chernobyl reactor last February. Russia denies any involvement and responsibility.
Starmer receives Zelensky, Macron and Merz in London
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will receive Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in London on Sunday to discuss continued support for Ukraine. So reports Downing Street.
The meeting follows a major Ukrainian drone attack Saturday on St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city. The attack shows Kiev's increasing ability to hit targets deep inside Russia. As far as is known, there were no casualties.
In Ukraine itself, Russian attacks during the night from Friday to Saturday claimed one life in the Dniepropetrovsk region; three others were wounded. Region leader Oleksandr Hanzha reported that Russian troops strafed three districts nearly 30 times with drones and artillery.
Putin refuses peace talks with Zelensky
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday additionally rejected a proposal by Zelensky for direct peace talks. He sees "no point" in such a meeting.
The E3 countries (United Kingdom, France and Germany) are Ukraine's staunchest allies. London and Paris also lead the "coalition of the willing," an initiative to offer Ukraine security guarantees as part of a peace process.s
©Vladyslav Cherkasenko via Unsplash - illustration image from Chernobyl site