After a suspected attack, a fire broke out in one of the cooling systems of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. The fire was extinguished, but concerns about the plant’s safety remained.
According to Russian reports, a fire broke out in the cooling system of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in Enerhodar, southern Ukraine, in the evening. The fire was completely extinguished during the night, a Russian-appointed official said on Telegram.
According to the state agency Tass, the region’s governor, Yevgeny Balitsky, who was also appointed by Moscow, said that there had previously been a Ukrainian attack on the area surrounding the power plant. However, there was no danger, as all of the nuclear power plant’s blocks had been shut down. Radiation levels were within the normal range. In the morning, Balitsky announced that security measures at all facilities of strategic importance in the region had been increased on the orders of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin.
The Russian side said that a Ukrainian combat drone had caused considerable damage to the nuclear power plant’s infrastructure. The information could not initially be independently verified.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in turn, accused Russia of setting fire to the nuclear power plant. The radiation levels were normal, Zelensky wrote on Platform X. “But as long as Russian terrorists control the nuclear power plant, the situation is not and cannot be normal.” He called for an immediate reaction from the international community and the IAEA nuclear authority.
Russia captured Europe’s largest nuclear power plant shortly after the start of its war of aggression and has occupied it ever since. Both sides blame each other for attacks on the power plant or sabotage of it. Russia has recently repeatedly complained about Ukrainian drone attacks. Due to safety concerns, the reactors were shut down in 2022, but must continue to be cooled. IAEA observers are stationed on the site.
Ukrainians continue to advance near Kursk
Meanwhile, regular Ukrainian troops have continued their advance on Russian territory in the Kursk region. Neither the Russian nor the Ukrainian side gave any precise location information about the advance, but Russian military bloggers reported that the Ukrainians were continuing to advance into Russian territory and that heavy fighting was taking place around numerous settlements. Among other things, mobile Ukrainian combat groups, which repeatedly exploited gaps in the front lines for quick attacks, caused great problems for the Russian units and dealt them heavy blows.
The acting governor of the Kursk region, Alexei Smirnov, reported on the Telegram platform that additional resources and reinforcements were on the way. “In the meantime, the armed forces are doing everything to protect the civilian population.”
The generals in Kiev gave little information about the actual fighting in the Kursk area. The situation report simply said that Russian long-range artillery and fighter aircraft were targeting the area around Sumy. This zone is considered a staging area and supply route for the Ukrainian units in the Kursk region.
Further Russian pressure in eastern Ukraine
Aside from the fighting during the Ukrainian advance into Russian territory near Kursk, Russian troops have continued their attacks in eastern Ukraine. The focus of the fighting was around Toretsk and Pokrovsk, the Ukrainian General Staff in Kiev announced.
The heaviest fighting was reported to have taken place near Pokrovsk on the edge of Donbass. In total, Russian units have made 26 attempts to break through the Ukrainian defense lines since the morning. The attacks were repulsed. Independent confirmation of these reports was not possible.
Near Toretsk, Russian troops once again attempted to advance to the town of Nyugor (New York). These attacks were also repelled, it was reported. The city of Toretsk was also the target of Russian air strikes.
Selenskyj: Russian launch sites precisely registered
Ukraine has a precise overview of the locations within Russia from which missiles, artillery or combat drones are fired at Ukrainian cities. “We are registering all the locations from which the Russian army is striking,” said President Zelensky in his evening video address. This applies to the Voronezh, Kursk and Belgorod regions as well as other areas of Russia.
Since the beginning of this summer alone, almost 2,000 attacks have been launched from the Kursk region on the Ukrainian region of Sumy – artillery, mortars, drones. “We record every missile strike, and each of these attacks deserves an appropriate response.”
Zelensky announced an imminent response to these attacks. “We will respond with long-range attacks on Russian missile launch sites and with the corresponding destruction of Russian military logistics,” he said.
However, he will have to speak to Ukraine’s partners again to obtain their permission to use the heavy weapons they have supplied to attack targets on Russian territory. “Just as air defense saves lives, lifting restrictions on long-range strikes will save thousands of lives.”
Kiev has been wrangling with its Western partners for months over permission to use missiles and other heavy weapons against military and logistical targets within Russia. So far, the Ukrainian military can only use drones of its own production for such attacks. However, these unmanned aircraft have only a low explosive power.
Russia attacked Ukraine on Sunday night with both missiles and so-called kamikaze drones. The constant nightly attacks are causing unrest among the civilian population in many places, and in addition to serious damage, there are also repeated casualties.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
