Attack Damages Storage Facility Nine Miles from Reactor
A Russian Shahed drone struck a spent nuclear fuel storage facility in Ukraine's Chornobyl exclusion zone on Sunday, partially destroying a container-receiving building. The facility sits nine miles from the disused Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Kyiv region. Ukraine's General Staff and Energoatom confirmed the storage center was empty at the time of impact, and firefighters extinguished the blaze within an hour. The fire spread across roughly 40 square meters.
The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that radiation levels at the site remained stable following the strike. IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi called the incident "deeply concerning" due to the large amounts of nuclear material held at the facility and said the agency would visit the site soon to inspect the damage.
Three Killed in Separate Strike on Bus Stop
The same day, Russian drone strikes killed three people waiting at a bus stop in Balabyne, located in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region, according to Ivan Fedorov, head of the regional military administration. One additional person was wounded in that attack.
Ukrainian Leadership Condemns Pattern of Nuclear Threats
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the strike on the fuel storage facility "an extremely vile Russian strike." Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote that Russia's actions represent a pattern of deliberate nuclear blackmail, stating on X that "Russia's nuclear blackmail and threats to nuclear safety are systemic, deliberate, and unacceptable."
This strike follows a February 2025 attack on a containment arch over the damaged Chernobyl reactor, which Russia denied responsibility for at that time.
European Leaders Meet as Attacks Intensify
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted Ukrainian President Zelenskyy alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday evening to discuss ongoing support for Kyiv. The meeting came less than 24 hours after a major Ukrainian drone strike on St. Petersburg that injured three people. The conflict is now in its fifth year, with the front line barely moving.
