Deadly Strikes Hit Ukraine and Russia as Chernobyl Anniversary Rekindles Nuclear Fears

At least 16 people were killed in strikes across Ukraine, Russian-occupied مناطق, and Russia over the past 24 hours, officials said Sunday, as the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster revived concerns about the risks of fighting near the site.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that ongoing Russian attacks could trigger a new man-made catastrophe. Writing on social media, he said Iranian-designed drones used by Russia have repeatedly flown over the Chernobyl plant, with one reportedly striking its protective structure last year.

“The world must not allow this nuclear terrorism to continue,” Zelenskyy said, urging stronger action to halt Moscow’s strikes.

In eastern Ukraine, Russian drone and missile attacks on the city of Dnipro killed at least nine people, according to regional authorities.

Elsewhere, one man died in a Ukrainian drone strike on Sevastopol, in Russian-occupied Crimea. Russia annexed the peninsula in 2014, a move widely condemned internationally. In the Luhansk region, Moscow-installed officials said three people were killed in another Ukrainian drone attack, while a separate strike in Russia’s Belgorod region reportedly killed a woman.

Some claims from both sides could not be independently verified.

Ukraine also said it struck an oil refinery in Yaroslavl, deep inside Russian territory, causing fires at a facility that supplies fuel to the Russian military. Russia did not immediately comment. Kyiv has increasingly relied on long-range drones capable of hitting targets up to 1,500 kilometers inside Russia.

The anniversary of Chernobyl added urgency to safety concerns. Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said damage to the plant’s outer protective shell from a previous strike has weakened a key safety function. He warned delays in repairs could increase risks to the aging structure beneath.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development estimates repairs will cost at least €500 million, far above current funding pledges.

Meanwhile, Russia signaled deepening military ties with North Korea. Defense Minister Andrei Belousov met leader Kim Jong Un, with both sides agreeing to expand long-term cooperation. North Korea has already supplied troops and weapons to support Russia’s war effort.

As the conflict grinds on into its fifth year, the overlap between active যুদ্ধ and nuclear risk is drawing renewed international alarm.