Russia-Ukraine Exchange Kills 16 as Chernobyl Anniversary Sparks Nuclear Safety Warnings

Russia and Ukraine exchanged strikes that killed at least 16 people during the weekend, authorities across both countries reported, as the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster prompted new warnings about risks posed by attacks near the plant during Moscow's more than four-year invasion of its neighbour. Russian drone and missile strikes on the city of Dnipro killed at least nine, regional head Oleksandr Hanzha said Sunday, while in Russia, officials claimed one man was killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on the port city of Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea. After reporting that two people had been killed in the early hours of Saturday, Leonid Pasechnik, the governor appointed by Russia in the Luhansk region of Ukraine, said three people had been killed in an overnight Ukrainian drone strike on a village in the city. Ukraine did not comment on either attack, and it was not immediately clear who was responsible for the attack. Earlier, a woman was killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Belgorod border region, according to local authorities. Meanwhile, Ukraine's General Staff said Sunday its forces had struck an oil refinery in Yaroslavl, deep inside Russian territory. The strikes sparked fires at the facility, which processes 15 million tons of oil a year and produces gasoline, diesel and jet fuel for the Russian military. Russia did not immediately comment. Concerns for Chernobyl on a grim anniversary The latest exchange of attacks came as Ukraine marked the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warning that Russian attacks risk repeating history. "Russia is once again bringing the world to the brink of a man-made disaster — Russian-Iranian Shaheds regularly fly over the plant, and one of them struck the confinement last year," he wrote on Facebook, referring to the Iran-designed drones that have wreaked havoc since Moscow launched its all-out war in February 2022. "The world must not allow this nuclear terrorism to continue, and the best way is to force Russia to stop its reckless attacks," Zelenskyy said. His warning was echoed by Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, during a visit to Kyiv on Sunday. Grossi said repairs to the plant's damaged outer protective shell must begin immediately. IAEA assessments show the damage sustained after a strike last year has already compromised a key safety function of the structure, he said, warning that years of inaction could heighten danger to the original sarcophagus beneath it. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development said repairs would require at least €500 million. Ukraine's Energy Minister Denys Smyhal said on Sunday that partner commitments to fund repairs at the facility totalled €100 million. That is in addition to a previously agreed €30 million. According to Ukrainian officials, a Russian drone struck the outside shell of the plant's New Safe Confinement structure in February 2025, a €1.79 billion arch-shaped containment over the remnants of reactor No. 4 that was installed in 2019. Moscow claimed Kyiv carried out the strike and denied that it was directed at the plant.