A drone attack by Ukraine in the Russian-held city of Energodar resulted in one fatality on Tuesday, according to a local official aligned with Moscow. Energodar, situated in southern Ukraine along the Dnipro River, has been under Russian control since the early days of the invasion in 2022.
Yevgeny Balitsky, the Kremlin-appointed leader of the occupied Zaporizhzhia region, reported on Telegram that the drone strike ignited a fire in a cylinder tanker. He confirmed that a petrol station employee, born in 1957, succumbed to shrapnel injuries from the attack.
Both Russia and Ukraine frequently accuse each other of jeopardizing safety at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, located in Energodar. However, representatives from the Russian-installed administration at the plant asserted that operations are proceeding normally, with no immediate threat to safety. “The plant is working normally,” stated Yevgeniya Yashina, a spokesperson for the facility.
Despite claiming the Zaporizhzhia region as part of Russia, Moscow does not maintain full control over the area. In light of ongoing military activity, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly called for caution, expressing concerns that reckless actions could lead to a significant nuclear incident at the plant.
