A Ukrainian drone struck the machine room building of one of the power units at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine on Saturday afternoon, according to a report cited by Interfax and Rosatom chief executive Alexey Likhachev.
Likhachev said the impact caused unspecified damage, but core equipment was not affected. The incident came as Ukraine and Russia continued to trade aerial attacks across several fronts.
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🇺🇦🇷🇺 A Ukrainian drone struck the machine hall of reactor No. 6 at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Europe's largest.
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 30, 2026
The drone was guided by fiber optic cable. This wasn't a stray hit. Someone aimed at it.
Rosatom's chief is now warning of a cross-border nuclear incident… https://t.co/6hOWyZBB9S pic.twitter.com/oLvzLsXOEr
Ukraine rejects responsibility
The Ukrainian southern military command denied carrying out strikes on nuclear facilities and said its forces act within international humanitarian law.
In a Facebook post, it also accused Russia of illegally keeping the Zaporizhzhia plant under military control since March 2022 and turning a civilian nuclear site into part of its military infrastructure. The plant’s six reactors are in a “cold shutdown” state and last produced electricity in 2022.
Nuclear concerns deepen
The attack on the nuclear plant followed a day in which the International Atomic Energy Agency said the facility temporarily lost all off-site power for the 16th time since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The agency did not immediately identify the cause.
Separately, an earlier Ukrainian UAV strike on Russia’s Taganrog port caused a fire on a tanker, a fuel-storage tank and an administrative building, according to the regional governor. Russia said there were no casualties or fuel leaks, and the fire was extinguished.
Tonight, Ukrainian drones struck an oil depot located in the town of Matveev Kurgan, Rostov Oblast, southern Russia.
— Status-6 (War & Military News) (@Archer83Able) May 30, 2026
A significant fire broke out at the facility as a result of the attack. pic.twitter.com/fppvFIKr6a
Strikes far beyond the reactor walls
Ukraine’s commander of unmanned forces, Robert Brovdi, confirmed the Taganrog strike and said drones destroyed two Tu-142 aircraft and an Iskander ballistic missile launcher at the Taganrog military air base.
He also said an oil terminal in Feodosiya in Crimea was hit. In a separate incident, a fire broke out at an oil depot in Armavir in Russia’s Krasnodar region after falling drone debris, authorities said.
Aerial battle intensifies
Ukraine said Russian drones and missiles also targeted its territory overnight.
Its air force said it shot down five of seven missiles and 279 of 290 drones. The railway station in Shostka in the Sumy region sustained major damage, while Odesa was also hit by drone fire.
Russia’s defence ministry said it struck military airfields, energy infrastructure and transport facilities used by the Ukrainian armed forces with long-range precision weapons and drones.
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Diplomacy persists amid conflict
Amid the fighting, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X that Ukraine is in contact daily with envoys of the US president and European partners as it seeks an end to the war.
He said coming priorities include antiballistic missile capabilities, further support for Ukraine’s energy sector and a potential drone deal with the European Union. Zelenskyy also held a special meeting with senior aides on next steps, according to the article.
