Key Points and Summary – In a major escalation on its Independence Day, Ukraine struck deep into Russian territory, with debris from a drone hitting the Kursk nuclear power station.
-Russian officials reported a fire and a partial shutdown of a reactor, though the international nuclear watchdog confirmed radiation levels remained normal.
-The attack was part of a massive wave of nearly 100 drones, one of which also set a major fuel terminal ablaze near St. Petersburg.
-This dangerous new phase of the war, targeting highly sensitive infrastructure, comes amid defiant speeches in Kyiv and a continued, difficult diplomatic push for a peace deal.
Ukraine Strikes Reach Russian Nuclear Power Site
On Sunday, Russia said that Ukraine struck deep into its territory, and damaged a nuclear power plant.
The Kursk nuclear power station was allegedly hit by debris from a Ukrainian drone the same day that Kyiv marked 34 years of independence from the Moscow-led Soviet Union.
Russian Nuclear Site Struck
The Guardian reports that Moscow alleges the interception of at least 95 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions, with one striking the Kursk nuclear facility, located just 60km from the Ukrainian border.
Russian state officials said a fire erupted after debris hit part of the station.
Half of one reactor’s output was stopped.
However, the fire was hastily dealt with and the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, said radiation levels remained normal in the area.
The IAEA has strongly warned against military operations near nuclear sites, notably at Zaporizhzhia: Europe’s largest plant, located in eastern Ukraine.
The site has repeatedly come under shelling- both Ukraine and Russia have been blamed in various instances.
Kyiv Sets Russian Fuel Terminal Ablaze
Elsewhere, Russian authorities reported Ukrainian drones reaching as far as St. Petersburg and the port of Ust-Luga, where a blaze broke out at a major fuel terminal.
Kyiv also reported that Moscow hit back with a ballistic missile and over 70 Shahed drones, over half of which it said were successfully intercepted.
Local officials in Russian-occupied Dnipropetrovsk said a civilian was killed in the exchanges.
Despite the ongoing war, or perhaps because of it, Sunday’s Ukrainian Independence Day celebrations carried a defiant tone.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told crowds in the Ukrainian capital that while his country had “not yet fully won… it will certainly not lose”.
He also stressed that in-person talks with Putin were still “the most effective way forward”.
Canadian PM’s Surprise Kyiv Visit
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, visiting Kyiv, lent some symbolic support, declaring that “it is not the choice of Russia how the future sovereignty, independence, liberty of Ukraine is guaranteed.” Washington’s envoy Keith Kellogg was also present, receiving a state award from Zelenskyy.
The day also saw an exchange of some 146 prisoners of war and civilians between Ukraine and Russia.
While this and other such people exchanges offer some glimmer of hope, the road to peace remains rocky.
Russian troops now occupy around one-fifth of Ukraine, including the Crimean peninsula.
While Washington has warmed to the idea of a peace deal in which Ukraine gives up its entire eastern region, now conquered mainly by Russia, Kyiv’s constitution legally forbids any leaders from ceding land.
Giving up land would also likely mark the end of Zelensky’s political career, which he is no doubt keen to avoid- and for now, he has been successful in doing so.
About the Author: Georgia Gilholy
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education. You can follow her on X: @llggeorgia.
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