Russia says Ukrainian drone struck Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Kyiv denies

MOSCOW: Russia’s state nuclear energy company Rosatom said on ​Saturday a Ukrainian drone had struck the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia ‌nuclear plant, Europe’s largest, causing no damage to key equipment, but the Kyiv military denied it.

Rosatom’s head Alexei Likhachev called the incident “deliberate” ​and said it left a hole in the wall ​of a turbine hall.

“This afternoon, a Ukrainian kamikaze combat ⁠drone struck the turbine hall building of Power Unit ​No. 6, resulting in a subsequent detonation,” Likhachev said in ​a statement.

“The explosion caused no damage to the primary equipment; however, it tore a hole in the turbine hall wall.”

Ukraine’s military denied the Russian ​claims as “yet another propaganda ploy.” It said that the ​Ukrainian troops did not strike power unit No. 6 at the Zaporizhzhia ‌Nuclear ⁠Power Plant.

“Ukrainian servicemen act strictly within the international humanitarian law and are fully aware of the consequences of any actions targeting nuclear facilities,” the military said in a statement.

“At the ​relevant section of ​the front ⁠line, there was no active fighting during the incident, and no weapons were used.”

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear ​plant was captured by Russia in March ​2022 and ⁠remains close to the frontline in the southeastern Ukrainian Zaporizhzhia region.

The plant has occasionally come under fire during the four-year-long ⁠war, raising ​fears of a nuclear accident at ​the facility.