Zelensky says Russian drone strike 'likely' targeted Khmelnitskyi Nuclear Power Plant

Oct. 26 (UPI) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia "likely" targeted a power plant that was damaged by debris from a drone attack.

Zelensky said that "two dozen residents were harmed" and windows, doors and roofs at the Khmelnitskyi Nuclear Power Plant were damaged by drone fragments as Ukraine successfully shot them down on Wednesday.

"The Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant, however, was the most likely target of this Russian drone strike. The hit wave also shattered windows on its premises," he said. "This strike near a nuclear power facility serves as another reminder to all of our partners of the importance of strengthening Ukraine's air defense and the dangers that exist when Russia has ways to circumvent global sanctions."

The Ukrainian air force said Wednesday that 11 Shahed-136/131 were involved in the air raid were brought down.

Zelensky called out members of the international community for allegedly providing components to Russia's drone program.

"Many of the components used by Russian terrorists in their combat drones come from various foreign companies, including Western ones. This is why the effectiveness of sanctions practically means the defense against terrorism," Zelensky said.

Nearly 2,000 people were left without power after power lines in the area were damaged but the International Atomic Energy Agency said the damage did not affect the plant's operations or its connection to the national electricity grid.

A power outage in Slavuta, however, did force two of the plant's off-site radiation monitoring stations to briefly rely on backup power supplies.

The IAEA said it was still assessing the extent of the damage at the site as IAEA Director Rafael Mariano Grossi warned that hitting a nuclear power plant "must be avoided at all costs."

"This incident again underlines the extremely precarious nuclear safety situation in Ukraine, which will continue as long as this tragic war goes on. The fact that numerous windows at the site were destroyed shows just how close it was," Grossi said.