President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine called the damage “significant” but said there were no signs of radiation leaks. A Kremlin spokesman denied that Russia had carried out the strike.

A Russian drone struck the former nuclear power plant at Chernobyl in an attack overnight into Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

A drone armed with a warhead hit the protective outer shell of Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear plant early Friday, punching a hole in the structure and briefly starting a fire, in an attack Kyiv blamed on Russia.

In the early hours of December 2024, as the sun began to rise, the sound of drones filled the air. This was the first successful all-drone assault on Russian positions — a groundbreaking event in the history of modern warfare.

The Rosaviatsia Telegram channel noted that airports in seven Russian cities were closed amid the attacks: Astrakhan, Vladikavkaz, Volgograd, Grozny, Kaluga, Saratov, and Ulyanovsk.

Ukrainians conducted another successful attack on Russian fuel infrastructure. On Tuesday morning, drones attacked a refinery in Saratov. A series of explosions were also heard near an airbase close to the city of Engels.

UN report reveals Russian drone strikes as the leading cause of civilian casualties in Ukraine.