Kyiv: Russia woke up to one of the most extensive drone assaults of the war on Sunday as Ukrainian forces marked their nation’s Independence Day with strikes deep inside Russian territory. Two incidents stood out for their scale and symbolism: a fire at the Kursk nuclear power plant near the Ukrainian border and a blaze at Novatek’s Ust-Luga fuel export terminal on the Gulf of Finland. Both attacks, though officially described as contained, underscored Ukraine’s ability to hit critical energy and infrastructure targets hundreds of kilometers from the frontline.
At the Kursk nuclear plant, Russian authorities confirmed that a drone was intercepted but exploded close to an auxiliary transformer. The blast caused a fire that forced operators to halve the capacity of Reactor No. 3. Radiation levels were reported to be within safe limits and no injuries were announced, though the incident immediately raised international alarm. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) issued a swift statement stressing that nuclear sites must be fully shielded from hostilities at all times. Two other reactors at the Kursk facility remain offline for maintenance, placing added strain on grid stability in the region.
Simultaneously, nearly a thousand kilometers north, the Ust-Luga fuel terminal in Russia’s Leningrad region was also targeted in the night-long drone raids. Authorities said at least 10 drones were intercepted over the area, but falling debris ignited a massive fire within the complex. The site, run by Novatek, processes gas condensate into export-ready fuels including jet fuel, naphtha, and fuel oil. Videos circulating on Russian social media channels showed a towering fireball and thick smoke visible from kilometers away. Local officials reported no casualties but confirmed that operations at the terminal had been disrupted. Given Ust-Luga’s role in supplying energy to Asia and other global markets, the attack could carry significant economic repercussions if outages persist.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence said it had intercepted 95 Ukrainian drones across more than a dozen regions overnight, including over Moscow, St. Petersburg, and industrial hubs in the Volga region. Despite the interceptions, several facilities sustained damage. In the Samara region, an industrial plant in Syzran was struck, with local authorities reporting that a child was injured. The intensity of the barrage forced temporary suspensions of air traffic in major airports, including St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo. Analysts noted that this was one of the broadest geographical spreads of Ukrainian drone strikes since the war began.
Kyiv did not immediately issue an official statement on the attacks, but Ukrainian officials in the past have justified such operations as retaliatory actions against Russian missile and drone strikes on their cities. By targeting energy infrastructure, Kyiv aims to undermine Russia’s military logistics and revenue streams while demonstrating its reach far beyond the frontlines. The timing on Ukraine’s 34th Independence Day carried an unmistakable symbolic message, showcasing resilience and strategic intent to both domestic audiences and international partners.
The twin incidents highlight the widening dimensions of the conflict. The Kursk nuclear plant scare, even without a radiation leak, reinforces fears of how easily the war could veer into nuclear safety territory. Meanwhile, the Ust-Luga blaze exposes vulnerabilities in Russia’s export infrastructure, with potential ripple effects on global energy markets. Together, these strikes emphasize not just Ukraine’s evolving drone capabilities, but also the growing strain on Russian air defenses, which are forced to defend targets spread across vast territory.
As emergency teams continue to douse fires and plant engineers work to stabilize power output, international observers remain focused on the broader implications. The IAEA’s renewed warnings on nuclear safety and concerns over disruptions to global fuel supplies illustrate how the conflict is no longer confined to the battlefield alone but is increasingly shaping global security and economic stability.