Ukrainian drone hit electrical systems at Novovoronezh nuclear facility: Russian officials

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian officials said Friday that a Ukrainian drone attack had damaged electrical equipment at the Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant in the border oblast of Voronezh.

According to the governor, Alexander Gusev, the attack took place on Thursday. Air defense and electronic warfare systems destroyed eight drones over the town of Novovoronezh.

"When the wreckage of one of them fell, the electrical equipment near the station was damaged," he said on Telegram.

Gusev said the incident triggered the automatic shutdown of several power units, while one reactor continued operating at full capacity.

Measurements carried out following the incident confirmed that the radiation background at the nuclear plant and in the surrounding area remained unchanged, he added.

In a separate statement, Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces carried out a large-scale strike on Ukraine’s military-industrial facilities and energy infrastructure.

The ministry said high-precision weapons, including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and drones, were used in the operation. Reported targets included Ukrainian military airfields, a radio-electronic intelligence center, a rocket launcher depot, and facilities for assembling and storing drones.

Ukrainian authorities did not immediately comment on Russia's claims, and independent verification is difficult due to the ongoing war.