Russia says Ukraine attempted drone attack on nuclear plant’s cooling tower

The Russian state nuclear power company Rosenergoatom said Tuesday that Ukrainian forces attempted a drone strike on the Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant the previous night, targeting one of its cooling towers.

In a statement, the company said the drone was neutralized using “technical means” but detonated upon impact with the cooling tower of Reactor Unit 6.

Rosenergoatom reported no casualties or structural damage, though it said a “dark mark” was left on the tower.

Ukrainian media and Russian pro-war bloggers shared images appearing to show this mark on Telegram, though the photos have not been independently verified or confirmed by official sources.

“The plant’s operational safety is fully ensured,” Rosenergoatom said. “Radiation levels at the Novovoronezh plant and in surrounding areas remain stable and within natural background levels. Law enforcement is currently working at the site. The incident has not affected the plant’s operations.”

Russia’s Defense Ministry said air defense systems shot down 18 Ukrainian drones over the Voronezh region on Tuesday night.