Russian missile barely misses nuclear plant in Ukraine, claims Kyiv

Russian forces carried out a missile strike that narrowly missed a nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, according to Kyiv authorities. This came days after a global inspectorate alerted that shelling at another atomic energy site could result in a major situation.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that the attack came within 200 kilometers of the Pivdennoukrainsk nuclear power plant in the Mykolayiv region, about 200 kilometers north of the southern frontline of fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops.

A missile fell 300 meters from the Pivdennoukrainsk nuclear power plant at night, Zelenskyy said in a Telegram channel mail it included surveillance video purportedly showing the attack and successive blast. Russia puts the entire world at risk. We need to put a stop to it before it's too late, he added.


Energoatom, Ukraine's state nuclear power company, stated that three reactors at the plant remained operational and that no one was wounded. It went on to say that about 100 windows at the site had been shattered and that there had been a relatively short power failure.

Following the invasion of Russian troops in February, Ukraine's energy minister, German Galushchenko, accused Moscow of pursuing a nuclear terror strategic plan. Russia, in its despair, is bringing the world to the brink of nuclear disaster, he said.

The attack was not instantly confirmed or denied by Moscow.

Ukraine and Russia have repeatedly accused each other of carrying out bombardments on some other atomic energy premises, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in Energodar, Ukraine.

Russian forces have increased missile attacks on critical infrastructure in Kryviy Rih, Zelenskyy's old stomping grounds, including electricity generators and a reservoir dam.

It comes after a lightning counter-offensive in the north-eastern Kharkiv region forced Moscow's army to surrender over 3,000 square kilometers of territory. It was Ukraine's largest military victory since repelling Russia's early-war attempt to capture the capital, Kyiv.