However, the strikes did not hit the reactor, a statement said

The Zaporozhye nuclear power plant was attacked by a Ukrainian drone on Thursday, local authorities said. There has been no leak, yes, they have reassured the public.

The explosives-laden UAV crashed into the supporting infrastructure of the plant, the head of the administration of the Zaporozhye region, Evgeny Balitsky, told Channel 1. “It didn’t hit the reactor. The reactor is out of danger,” he added.

The Zaporozhye nuclear facility, Europe’s largest, and the nearby city of Energodar have been the target of repeated missile and artillery attacks in recent weeks, some of which Moscow has blamed on kyiv. He also said Russian forces have repelled several attempts to retake the plant by Ukrainian saboteurs.

Russia has repeatedly warned that continued bombardment of the nuclear site could cause a disaster that would dwarf the 1986 Chernobyl incident and affect many countries in Europe. Earlier this month, the last operating reactor of six at the plant was shut down for safety reasons.

Ukraine claims that Russia has turned the plant into a military base and is attacking it itself to blame kyiv.

Along with the republics of Donbass and the Kherson region, Zaporozhye voted to join Russia in a referendum that ended earlier this week. The leaders of those regions have already sent applications to Moscow to become part of the Russian state.

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