A near disaster.
Russian missiles fired overnight on the southern Ukrainian region of Mykolaiv fell just three hundred meters from the reactors of the Pivdennoukrainsk nuclear power plant, the second largest in the country.
"The shock wave damaged the buildings of the plant. Three high-voltage power lines were also disconnected", explained the operator of Kiev, Energoatom, pointing out that "currently all three power units of the plant they function normally "and" there are no casualties among the staff ".
The bombing shattered a hundred windows and damaged a nearby hydroelectric power station, while a rocket crash caused a two-meter-deep crater.
An escaped danger that immediately raised the alarm on the risks for the safety of nuclear plants deriving from the conflict.
"The invaders wanted to shoot again, but they have forgotten what a nuclear power plant is. Russia endangers the whole world. We must stop it before it is too late," Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelensky
denounced .
A few hours later, eight more missiles were launched by the Russians on Zaporizhzhia, in the region that is home to the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.
For Kiev, it is yet another demonstration of the urgency to demilitarize the area.
A request relaunched in recent days also by the International Atomic Energy Agency but always rejected by Moscow, which on the contrary with the Foreign Minister Serghei Lavrov accused the Ukrainian forces of bombing the plant with "weapons supplied by Western countries" , thus exposing "Europe to the danger of a nuclear catastrophe".
Meanwhile,
the Kremlin has returned to make itself heard by brandishing as "lies" the reports on the atrocities committed by Russian troops before the withdrawal from the Kharkiv region
, after the discovery of hundreds of bodies summarily buried in a forest in Izyum, many with signs of torture. and violence.
Among the 146 bodies exhumed so far, Governor Oleg Sinegubov said, there are also those of two children.
"This is the same scenario as Bucha, it is a lie, and of course we will defend the truth," said spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who also spoke on Kiev's promise to take back the entire Ukrainian territory, including Crimea.
The peninsula, he said, "is an indivisible part of Russia and any claim on Russian territories will receive an adequate response".
Between Moscow and Kiev the rebound of responsibility also continues on the attacks that bloodied Ukraine.
The pro-Russians reported an enemy raid in Donetsk with 13 civilians killed, including two children.
Ukrainians instead reported 10 civilians killed and 22 injured in 24 hours.
Meanwhile, while "stabilizing" the reconquered territories - 80,000 square km across the country since the invasion began, according to Attorney General Andriy Kostin -, the army of Kiev continues the counter-offensive in Lugansk, where it has resumed in the last hours the village of Bilohorivka, on the outskirts of Lysychansk.
An important achievement on a symbolic level, because it takes away full control of the oblast from Moscow.
But Governor Serhiy Gaidai asked the population for patience.
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