Live Blog | Russia: High water level threatens Ukrainian nuclear power plant dam Related articles

Russia: High water levels threaten Ukraine’s nuclear power plant dam

04:10 | Record water levels could be too much for a major dam in southern Ukraine and damage parts of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. A Russian official told the Tass news agency.

Renat Karchaa, adviser to the director general of Russia’s state atomic agency Rosenergoatom, said if the dam were to break, the power cable to pumping stations in Zaporizhia would be flooded. “This would create problems for the operation of the plant and risks for nuclear safety.”

Satellite images show significant new damage to the dam following the Russian withdrawal from the nearby city of Kherson. Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of trying to blow up the dam with explosives, which would inundate much of the area downstream.

Ukrainian Air Force shoots down its drone over Kiev

00:00 | The Ukrainian Air Force shot down its drone over Kiev after the army lost control of the drone. President Volodimir Zelensky’s office had previously reported that the capital had been attacked by a “hostile” drone shot down by its anti-aircraft defences. But a few hours later it turned out to be a Ukrainian drone which, according to the Air Force, probably had a technical problem.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a fire had broken out in the western part of the Ukrainian capital, likely due to drone fragments. There were no reports of casualties or damage.

Residents heard gunshots and explosions for twenty minutes. A French journalist said on Twitter that the drone was shot down not far from the presidential palace. At the time, the president had just left the Netherlands. The plane is believed to have gone down near the banks of the Dnieper River, just outside the city centre.