Aug. 22 (UPI) -- New shelling occurred on Monday near Ukraine's largest nuclear power plant in the southeast, ratcheting up concerns about the facility, which is the largest in Europe.
International leaders and advocates have expressed concern for a few weeks about the safety of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant. Ukrainian officials said that more Russian shelling was carried out near the plant in Nikopol, which is located just across the Dnieper River about 6 miles from the site.
"Nikopol was shelled with 'Grad' and barrel artillery three times during the night," regional Gov. Valentyn Reznichenko said according to The Guardian. "Forty-two Russian shells flew into the residential quarters."
Reznichenko said the Russian attacks also hit the districts of Kryvoriz, and Synelnykiv.
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Meanwhile, Ukrainian military officials said they have had some success in holding off Russian forces in the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions despite heavy fighting from Moscow.
The Russian military has made small gains in advancing north from territory captured in southern Ukraine early in the war, officials in Kyiv said Monday.
Ukraine's military General Staff said that its forces have continued to face heavy bombardment by Russian forces, but they have slowed movements when they have not been able to hold their front lines.
The General Staff acknowledged, though, that Russia has seen "partial success" in attacks on the outskirts of the southern settlement of Blahodatne. Russia has applied consistent military pressure in the area for about three months.
Moscow has also found success in moving forces north toward Mykolaiv from Kherson, Kyiv said.
Russian missiles also struck on Monday near the key southern port city of Odessa, a frequent target since the war began in February.
The city, which is still in Ukrainian hands, serves a key role in shipping Ukrainian to parts of Europe -- shipments that were only recently allowed to resume under an agreement with Moscow.
A Ukrainian regional spokesperson said that five Russian Kalibr cruise missiles from the Black Sea were fired into the area. Ukrainian forces downed two and the other three hit agricultural facilities.
Russia claimed on Sunday that the missiles destroyed an ammunition depot containing U.S.-made HIMARS rockets.
