Russia Halts Drone Attack on Zaporizhzhia Plant

On Sunday, Russia's Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov announced that Russian forces thwarted an attempt by the Ukrainian army to attack the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which remains in normal condition, with eight drones.

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Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that approached the nuclear plant were "blocked by Russian electronic warfare equipment," Konashenkov specified, adding that Ukrainian forces also launched homing grenades at the facility.

The Zaporizhzhia plant, which is Europe's largest nuclear power plant, has been under guard by Russian forces since early March. The staff that operates it, however, remain Ukrainian.

Authorities of Enerhodar City, where the Zaporizhia plant is located, denounced constant Ukrainian attacks on the facilities and power lines since Saturday morning. As a result, Zaporizhzhia has decreased its energy production by 50 percent.

Due to the reduction of power at the nuclear plant, the flow of electricity is currently reaching only towards the liberated territories, said Vladimir Rogov, a member of the region's military-civilian administration.

Konashenkov lamented that the Ukrainian forces continue to generate provocations in the vicinity of the Zaporizhzhia plant despite the presence of a mission from the International Atomic Energy Organization (IAEA).

He specified that the Ukrainian troops resumed shelling the plant on the night of Sept. 2, when attacks were recorded on the second and third blocks, which generated an interruption in the operation of the Dnieper transmission line that sends power to the Ukrainian territory.