The attack was launched by naval forces and was confronted by combat aircraft
Russia says it thwarted a Ukrainian attempt to seize the Zaporizhia nuclear plant
Photographers gather around a drone that crashed near the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.
EPA
The Russian Defense Ministry announced yesterday that Ukrainian forces launched an attack aimed at seizing the Zaporizhia nuclear plant during the night, explaining that the attempt by the forces of the Ukrainian Navy of more than 250 personnel, who tried to land on the coast of a lake near the station in southern Ukraine, was thwarted. .
"Despite the presence of IAEA representatives at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, the Kyiv regime once again tried to gain control of the plant," the ministry added.
Russia stated that its forces thwarted the attack with strikes from military helicopters and combat aircraft, which led to the destruction of 20 Ukrainian boats and boats, and this caused the dispersal of other ships, and the attack was cancelled.
Over the past months, Kyiv and Moscow exchanged accusations over the attacks on this plant, which is the largest nuclear power in Europe.
Russian forces took control of the station last March, but it is still connected to the Ukrainian electricity grid, and is operated by Ukrainian employees.
The International Atomic Energy Agency sent a mission to the nuclear plant last week, amid fears that the escalation could lead to a nuclear disaster on the European continent, similar to the Chernobyl disaster.
The day before yesterday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu denied Russia's possession of heavy weapons at or near the power plant, and accused Ukraine of "committing nuclear terrorism, through its attacks on the facility."
In addition, a reactor at the nuclear plant was restarted, according to the Ukrainian company Energoatum, which operates the facility.
The unit in question, the plant's number five reactor, was shut down two days ago due to mortar fire.
There is currently a group of five experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency in the sprawling complex, to determine the aspects of safety there.
Yesterday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, Turkish mediation to help settle the crisis over the Zaporizhia nuclear plant.
"President Erdogan announced that Turkey can play the role of facilitator over the Zaporizhia nuclear plant, as it did with the agreement on grain, whose export was halted after the Russian war on Ukraine for a while before its resumption," the Turkish presidency said in a statement.
On the other hand, Ukraine announced the elimination of 49,50 Russian forces since the start of the war last February, until yesterday, including 350, the day before yesterday, only.
This came in a statement issued by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and reported by the Ukrainian National News Agency (Ukrinform).
According to the statement, the Ukrainian forces destroyed 2,034 tanks, 4,403 armored vehicles, 1,134 artillery systems, 293 multiple missile systems, 153 air defense units, 235 warplanes, 205 helicopters, 864 tactical operations marches, 203 cruise missiles, and 15 ships/boats were destroyed. , 3,268 vehicles and fuel tanks, and 105 units of specialized equipment since the start of the war.
On the other hand, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that the Ukrainian counterattack is continuing, but it comes at a heavy cost to the Ukrainian forces.
"The regime in Kyiv continued its unsuccessful attempts to regain control of the area between the cities of Mykolaiv and Kryvyi Rih," the ministry said.
She added that Ukraine lost 23 tanks and 27 combat vehicles, in addition to more than 230 soldiers the day before yesterday.
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