Ukraine unleashed a wave of drone strikes deep inside Russian territory on Sunday, igniting a fire at the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant as the nation marked Independence Day with defiance instead of retreat.
The strikes came just days after Moscow dismissed renewed peace efforts, including US President Donald Trump’s attempt to broker a summit between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky. With the war grinding on into its fourth year and Russia claiming new ground in Donetsk, Ukraine hit back with its signature weapon — drones.
Russian officials confirmed multiple drone attacks, including one that triggered a blaze at a nuclear facility and another that set fire to a major fuel terminal in the Gulf of Finland. Ukraine’s military also reported repelling a barrage of 72 Iranian-made Shahed drones overnight, while Russian strikes killed at least one civilian in Dnipropetrovsk.
Despite the violence, Ukrainians rallied around Independence Day celebrations. “Ukraine is not a victim; it is a fighter,” Zelensky declared, thanking world leaders for their support as Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney joined him in Kyiv.
With Russia still controlling around 20% of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, and peace talks stalled, the conflict shows little sign of ending soon.
