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A Ukrainian drone strike hit a Russian nuclear plant causing a brief fire on Sunday, Russian officials reported.
The strike at Russia’s Kursk Nuclear Power Plant damaged an auxiliary transformer and reduced output at one reactor to 50 per cent, according to Moscow. No injuries were reported and radiation levels remained normal.
Russian air defences also intercepted a drone headed for Moscow, prompting temporary closures at several regional airports, including Izhevsk, Samara and Nizhniy Novgorod. Authorities said dozens of flights were delayed.
The attack coincided with Ukraine’s Independence Day, marking 34 years since its separation from the Soviet Union. Ukrainian flags will appear above Downing Street and several Whitehall buildings, the UK government has announced, underscoring international support amid continued Russian attacks.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon is reportedly restricting Ukraine’s use of US-made long-range missiles against targets inside Russia, limiting Kyiv’s operational options, according to the Wall Street Journal.
US president Donald Trump has given Moscow a two-week deadline to agree to peace talks with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, warning he will take further action if no progress is made.
Canada announce package of US military equipment for Ukraine, Nato says
Canada has announced a package of US military equipment to support Ukrainian forces, according to Nato.
Posting on X, Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said he was “grateful” to the north American nation for the funding.
Nicole Wootton-Cane24 August 2025 11:45
Fire at Novatek’s Ust-Luga terminal extinguished, governor says
A fire at Novatek’s Ust-Luga terminal in Russia’s Leningrad region has been extinguished, Alexander Drozdenko, the regional governor, said on Sunday.
Repair and restoration work has begun at the site, Drozdenko wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
Nicole Wootton-Cane24 August 2025 11:28
RECAP: Moscow says Kyiv struck nuclear power plant
Russia has said Ukraine targeted a nuclear power plant in the country’s Kursk region on Sunday, sparking a large fire.
No injuries were reported following the strike at the plant, according to the plant’s press service on Telegram.
The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said it was aware of media reports that a transformer at the plants had caught fire “due to military activity,” but hadn’t received independent confirmation. It said its director-general, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said that “every nuclear facility must be protected at all times.”
Ukraine did not immediately comment on the alleged attack.
Nicole Wootton-Cane24 August 2025 11:08
LIVE: Ukraine marks 34th Independence Day amid ongoing Russia conflict
Ukraine is celebrating its 34th Independence Day with festivities in Kyiv.
Nicole Wootton-Cane24 August 2025 10:48
Putin: ‘Next steps depend on US leadership’
Russian leader Vladimir Putin has praised “very good, constructive and frank discussion” with US President Donald Trump in Alaska.
“I really hope the first steps made are just the beginning of a full-scale recovery of #RussiaUS relations,” he wrote in a post on X.
“The next steps depend on the US leadership.”
Previously, Putin called Trump the “light at the end of the tunnel” for US-Russia relations, which have been strained for decades.
Nicole Wootton-Cane24 August 2025 10:38
European leaders celebrate Ukraine’s Independence Day
European and world leaders are celebrating Ukraine’s Independence Day on Sunday, with many taking to social media to share messages of support.
Earlier this morning, Sir Keir Starmer posted a picture of himself embracing Zelensky, writing: “We stand with Ukraine today, and always”.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has also shared her support with a post, writing: “We are with you, for as long as it takes”.
Nicole Wootton-Cane24 August 2025 10:28
Russian forces report capturing Filiia in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region
Russian forces have reported the capture of Filiia, a settlement in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region on Sunday morning, according to Russia’s defence ministry.
The Independent could not independently verify the battlefield report.
Nicole Wootton-Cane24 August 2025 10:18
Novatek Ust-Luga terminal fire not affecting fuel storage tanks, Russian governor says
A fire at Novatek’s Ust-Luga terminal sparked by a Ukrainian drone attack has not affected fuel the facility’s storage tanks, the governor of Russia’s Leningrad region said on Sunday.
“Fire crews are working to contain a blaze at the terminal site in Ust-Luga. Fuel storage tanks have not been affected by the fire,” Alexander Drozdenko, governor of the region where the Ust-Luga port is located, posted on the Telegram messaging app.
Nicole Wootton-Cane24 August 2025 10:08
Canadian Prime Minister arrives in Kyiv
The Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has arrived in Kyiv ahead of Ukraine’s Independence Day celebrations.
“On this Ukrainian Independence Day, and at this critical moment in their nation’s history, Canada is stepping up our support and our efforts towards a just and lasting peace for Ukraine,” Carney said in a post on social media platform X.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, welcomed the visit by the Canadian prime minister.
“On this special day Ukraine Independence Day it is especially important for us to feel the support of our friends. And Canada has always stood by us,” Yermak posted on the Telegram messaging app.
Nicole Wootton-Cane24 August 2025 09:58
Kursk governor says Ukrainian attack is threat to nuclear safety
Ukrainian attacks on the Kursk nuclear plant create a threat to nuclear safety, Alexander Khinshtein, the regional acting governor said on Sunday.
“They are a threat to nuclear safety and a violation of all international conventions,” Khinshtein wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
A drone attack on the Kursk nuclear plant on Sunday damaged an auxiliary transformer and led to 50% reduction in the operating capacity at unit three of the plant, the plant’s press service said.
Nicole Wootton-Cane24 August 2025 09:46