Russia said on Thursday that it had intercepted nine Ukrainian drones that were flying near the Moscow-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine and were repeatedly bombed.
“Nine Ukrainian helicopter-type drones were detected and intercepted by air defense teams operating near the city of Energodar,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement near the power plant at around 12:30 Moscow time (9:30 GMT).
Moscow…
Russia said on Thursday that it had intercepted nine Ukrainian drones that were flying near the Moscow-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine and were repeatedly bombed.
“Nine Ukrainian helicopter-type drones were detected and intercepted by air defense teams operating near the city of Energodar,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement near the power plant at around 12:30 Moscow time (9:30 GMT).
Moscow accused Ukraine of “provocations aimed at causing a man-made catastrophe at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant” and of wanting to “disrupt the staff rotation of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), whose inspectors are present on site.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe and occupied by Russian forces since the start of the conflict, has been the target of several bombings. Both sides accuse each other of wanting to bring about a catastrophe there.
At the end of October, Russia had already accused Ukraine of using drones to attack a nuclear power plant in the Russian border region of Kursk, hitting an administration building and a nuclear waste storage facility.
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However, the plant operator said the attack did not cause an increase in radioactivity.
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