Russian Strike Kills Three In Ukraine; Nuclear Fuel Facility Damaged Near Chernobyl

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Russian attacks killed at least three people in northeastern Ukraine and damaged a spent nuclear fuel storage facility near the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster, Ukrainian officials said Tuesday.

Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said two men, aged 70 and 50, and a 70-year-old woman were killed in a strike on the town of Chuhuiv in the Kharkiv region. Six other people were injured in the regional capital of Kharkiv, where shelling damaged buildings and sparked fires.

The attacks came a day after Ukrainian officials said Russian forces struck a spent nuclear fuel storage facility near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the site of the 1986 reactor explosion and meltdown.

The disaster released radioactive material across large parts of Europe and remains the world’s worst civilian nuclear accident.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the strike damaged a fuel-reception building located near storage areas containing significant quantities of nuclear material.

NUCLEAR SAFETY CONCERNS

Ukraine’s state nuclear operator Energoatom said no spent fuel was stored in the affected building at the time of the attack. A fire caused by the strike was later extinguished, and officials reported no increase in radiation levels.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it had been briefed on the incident and would send experts to inspect the site.

Zelenskyy described the attack as “extremely vile” and accused Russia of using an Iranian-designed Shahed drone. Russia did not immediately comment on the allegation.

The strike follows an earlier incident in February when Ukraine accused Russia of damaging the protective containment arch covering the reactor destroyed in the 1986 disaster.

Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukrainian cities and infrastructure with drones and missiles since launching its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

MORE ATTACKS REPORTED

Elsewhere, Ukrainian officials reported additional Russian attacks in the southern Zaporizhzhia and central Dnipropetrovsk regions that killed several more people and damaged civilian infrastructure.

The latest violence came as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy returned from talks in London with the leaders of Britain, France, and Germany on efforts to end the more than four-year war.

Ukraine said U.S.-led peace efforts have slowed in recent weeks as Washington has focused on tensions and conflict in the Middle East.

Zelenskyy said he held a “positive” conversation Monday with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and expressed hope for renewed diplomatic efforts in the coming weeks.

However, prospects for a breakthrough remain uncertain after Russian President Vladimir Putin recently rejected Zelenskyy’s proposal for a face-to-face meeting and an immediate ceasefire.

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