Artillery shells hit Ukrainian nuclear plant

 Artillery shells hit Ukraine’s southern city of Nikopol early Sunday, not far from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia may try to do “something particularly cruel” when Moscow’s invasion hits the six-month mark this week.

Russia targeted sites near Odesa, Ukraine’s key Black Sea port and grain export hub.

But the bombardment of Nikopol was of particular concern, with Ukrainian regional governor Valentyn Reznichenko writing on the Telegram messaging app that 25 artillery shells hit the city, setting fire to an industrial facility and cutting power to 3,000 people.

The fighting near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and Saturday’s missile strike on the southern Ukrainian town of Voznesensk, not far from Ukraine’s second-largest atomic facility, has spurred fears among world leaders of a nuclear accident.

Russia’s invasion of its one-time Soviet satellite hits the six-month mark on Wednesday and marks the 31st anniversary of Ukraine’s independence.

Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Saturday, “We should be aware that this week Russia may try to do something particularly nasty, something particularly cruel. Such is our enemy. But in any other week during these six months, Russia did the same thing all the time – disgusting and cruel.”

The war between the neighboring countries, raging since Russia’s February 24 invasion, has killed thousands of fighters on both sides and Ukrainian civilians while forcing millions of Ukrainians to flee their homes for safety in the western part of the country, far from the front battle lines in eastern Ukraine, or go to neighboring countries.

Zelenskyy said, “I remember what various ‘advisers’ told me and advised me then. … I know that many of them are now ashamed of the words that were said then. … Ukrainians have proven that our people are invincible, our defenders are invincible.

“We still need to fight, we still need to do a lot, we still need to persevere and endure, unfortunately, a lot of pain,” he said. “But Ukrainians can feel proud of themselves, their country, and their heroes.”

Russian air defenses shot down a drone in Crimea Saturday, Russian authorities said. It was the second such incident at the headquarters of its Black Sea fleet in three weeks.

Oleg Kryuchkov, an aide to Crimea’s governor, also said without elaborating that “attacks by small drones” triggered air defenses in western Crimea.

Russia considers Crimea to be Russian territory, but Ukrainian officials have never accepted its 2014 seizure.

Mikhail Razvozhaev, the governor of Sevastopol, said the drone that was shot down landed on the roof of the Russian fleet’s headquarters but did not cause casualties or major damage.

Razvozhaev posted a new statement on Telegram Saturday night asking residents to stop filming and disseminating pictures of the region’s anti-aircraft system and how it was working, the Reuters news agency reported.

The incident underlines the vulnerability of Russian forces in Crimea. Earlier this month, explosions at a Russian air base destroyed nine Russian warplanes Last week, a blast hit a Russian ammunition depot in Crimea.

A drone attack on the Black Sea headquarters on July 31 injured five people and forced the cancelation of observances of Russia’s Navy Day.

(VOA)