FLASH
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Ukraine launched drone attacks on Russia on Sunday, causing a significant drop in the capacity of a reactor at one of Russia's largest nuclear power plants. The attacks have sparked a huge fire at the main Ust-Luga fuel export terminal, Russian officials said.
Despite peace talks by Russia and Ukraine, the deadliest European war since World War II is continuing along a 2,000km (1,250-mile) front line, accompanied by missile and drone attacks deep into Russia and Ukraine.
Russia's defense ministry said at least 95 Ukrainian drones were intercepted in more than a dozen Russian regions on August 24, the day Ukraine celebrates its declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
The Kursk nuclear power plant, just 60 km (38 miles) from the border with Ukraine, said air defenses shot down a drone that exploded near the plant shortly after midnight, damaging an auxiliary transformer and forcing a 50% reduction in operating capacity at reactor No. 3.
Radiation levels were normal and there were no injuries from the fire caused by the drone, the plant said. Two other reactors are operating without generating power and one is undergoing scheduled repairs.
The United Nations nuclear agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said it was aware of reports that a transformer at the plant had caught fire due to military activity and stressed that any nuclear facility must be protected at all times.
A thousand km to the north, in the Gulf of Finland, at least 10 Ukrainian drones crashed over the port of Ust-Luga in Russia's northern Leningrad region, with debris causing a fire at the terminal operated by Novatek, a major export terminal and fuel processing complex on the Baltic Sea, the regional governor said.
Unverified footage on Russian Telegram channels showed a drone flying directly into a fuel terminal, followed by a large fireball rising high into the sky, and then a cloud of black smoke rising to the horizon.
"Firefighters and emergency services are currently working to put out the flames," said Alexander Drozdenko, governor of Russia's Leningrad region. He added that there were no injuries.
Rosaviatsia, Russia's civil aviation authority, said flights were grounded for hours at several Russian airports overnight, including Pulkovo airport in the Leningrad region.
Ukrainian drones also attacked an industrial enterprise in the southern Russian city of Syzran, the governor of the Samara region said on Sunday. A child was injured in the attack, according to the governor, who did not specify exactly what was attacked.
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