Russia’s nuclear power plant, oil depot targeted in Ukrainian drone attack: Report

The largest nuclear power plant in northwestern Russia has reportedly come under a Ukrainian drone attack, among other oil and power facilities targeted by the Kiev forces.

Russian media reports and officials said on Wednesday that the country’s energy infrastructure had been attacked by at least 100 drones overnight, with air defense systems destroying a drone attempting to strike Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant in the northwestern region of Smolensk bordering Belarus.

“According to preliminary information, one of the drones was shot down during an attempt to attack a nuclear power facility,” Governor Vasily Anokhin said on the Telegram messaging app. “There were no casualties or damage.”

Russia's Defense Ministry underlined that 104 drones were involved in raids across western Russia, 11 of which were destroyed over the Smolensk region.

The Ukrainian drone strikes also targeted several Russian oil regions, including the Nizhny Novgorod, Tver and Bryansk oblasts, causing fires and prompting air defense responses.

The Lukoil oil depot in the city of Kstovo in the Nizhny Novgorod region, about 800 km (500 miles) from the Ukrainian border, came under attack by four drones, all of which struck their target and caused "significant damage."

Russian petrochemicals giant Sibur confirmed that it had temporarily suspended operations at its plant in Kstovo on Wednesday morning after debris from a Ukrainian drone sparked a fire.

One person was injured and hospitalized as a result of a drone attack on the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, the regional governor said.

Russian aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia temporarily halted flights at the Kazan airport in Russia's Republic of Tatarstan and at the Pulkovo airport in the Leningrad region.

West ‘prevented’ Ukraine from signing 2022 peace deal with Russia: Slovak PM

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has revealed that the West sabotaged the signing of an agreement by Ukraine that would terminate the war in the former Soviet Republic as early as 2022.

Earlier this week the Ryazan Oil Refinery in Russia suspended operations due to damage from Ukrainian drone attacks, Reuters reported, citing two industry sources.

Ukraine confirmed hitting the plant in an overnight drone strike on January 24.

The continuing air attacks come amid the return of Donald Trump as US president and his renewed rhetoric over the possibility of a ceasefire between Moscow and Kiev.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that his country could hold peace talks with Ukraine, but ruled out speaking directly with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Russia launched its “special military operation” in Ukraine in February 2022 partly to prevent NATO’s eastward expansion after warning that the US-led military alliance was following an “aggressive line” against Moscow.

Washington and its Western allies have flooded Ukraine with a vast volume of Western arms and ammunition since then despite Moscow’s calls that the move would only prolong the conflict.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir