MOSCOW/KYIV - A Ukrainian combat drone attempted to attack the Novovoronezh nuclear power plant overnight but was destroyed before causing any damage, Russian authorities said Tuesday.
Plant operator Rosenergoatom said the drone was downed by technical defenses near the facility in the Voronezh region and detonated after hitting the cooling tower of Unit 6, which remains in operation.
"There was no structural damage or casualties," the state nuclear energy company said in a statement, adding that the plant's safety systems were not affected and radiation levels at and around the site remain normal.
There was no immediate comment from Ukraine on the incident, which Rosenergoatom described as "another act of aggression by the Ukrainian armed forces against Russian nuclear power plants."
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In the Kherson region, four people were killed and another injured in Ukrainian attacks over the past day, local authorities said.
The victims were killed on a highway in a targeted drone attack on civilian vehicles, said Vladimir Saldo, head of the Kherson region.
The drone strikes also destroyed a gas station and caused a power outage in parts of the region, he added.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that its air defense systems shot down three guided aerial bombs, 16 rockets from US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems, and 416 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles over the past day.
Russian attacks
Meanwhile, energy and railway infrastructure in two Ukrainian regions came under Russian attacks, Oleksii Kuleba, Ukrainian deputy prime minister, announced on Tuesday.
In the central Poltava region, a locomotive depot, a power supply division and traction substations were hit, Kuleba wrote on Facebook.
An energy facility, administrative buildings, warehouse premises and rolling stock were also damaged.
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More than 1,000 households in the city of Poltava and nearby areas were left without power following the strikes.
In the city of Sumy, the attacks caused power outages and damage to residential buildings, according to Kuleba.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that it intercepted 88 out of 152 drones launched by Russia overnight. Meanwhile, 52 other drones and two Iskander M/KN-23 missiles struck 10 locations across the country.
