Russian rockets hit city near Ukrainian nuclear plant, killing civilians

Russian missiles hit residential buildings in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia overnight, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Thursday.

“Overnight, seven Russian missiles have hit people sleeping peacefully at their homes in Zaporizhzhia,” Kuleba wrote on Twitter. “More have struck during the day.”

Oleksandr Starukh, the governor of Zaporizhzhia, said on Telegram that at least one person died in the shelling and 12 more were injured. However, he added that people may still be under the rubble. Reuters reported at least three deaths from the Russian attack.

“Russians keep deliberately striking civilians to sow fear,” Kuleba said. “Russian terror must be stopped — by force of weapons, sanctions, and full isolation.”

The southeastern Ukrainian city is home to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which has been a point of concern throughout the war amid shellings.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, traveled to Kyiv on Wednesday to discuss the “urgent” need for a security protection zone around the nuclear plant.

After Russian President Vladimir Putin formally annexed four Ukrainian regions — including Zaporizhzhia — last Friday, he laid claim to the nuclear power plant as “federal property,” according to Reuters.

However, the head of Ukraine’s state nuclear energy company also claimed control of the plant, Reuters noted.