Ukraine war latest: Chornobyl's spent nuclear fuel depot hit by Russian drone

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Key developments on June 6-7:

• 'Sky-high arrogance' — Russian drone strikes spent nuclear fuel depot in Chornobyl
• Zelensky confirms another drone strike on St. Petersburg Oblast ahead of Putin's economic forum finale
• Bridge linking Crimea to southern Ukraine damaged in drone strike, Russian occupation official says
• Ukraine's drones take aerial control over part of land route to Russian-occupied Crimea, military says
• Ukraine strikes oil depot, marine terminal in occupied Crimea, releases footage of attack
• Ukraine apologizes to Greece over naval drone incident, says it shows Russia's war threat to Europe

A Russian drone strike damaged part of the Centralized Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone overnight on June 7, Ukraine's state nuclear operator Energoatom reported.

The attack comes amid growing concerns about nuclear safety in Ukraine, as Russia continues to strike infrastructure tied to the country's energy system and nuclear sector.

"As of now, there is no exceedance of radiation safety limits. But there is clearly an exceedance of even Russia's already sky-high arrogance," President Volodymyr Zelensky said. "A critical infrastructure facility. And an exceptionally cowardly Russian attack."

According to Energoatom, the drone struck the facility at approximately 2:10 a.m. local time. The attack partially destroyed the facility's container reception building, though no spent nuclear fuel was being stored there at the time.

A fire covering around 40 square meters (430 square feet) broke out following the strike and was later extinguished. No personnel were injured, according to Energoatom.

The Centralized Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility is designed to provide long-term storage for spent nuclear fuel from Ukraine's operating nuclear power plants.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said it would inform international partners about the incident and expects "strong condemnation around the world and increased pressure on the aggressor."

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Ukraine had informed it of the attack, adding that a team of experts will soon visit the facility to assess the impact.

Ukraine's Security Service said it considers Russia's strike on the facility to be a war crime.

Zelensky confirms another drone strike on St. Petersburg region ahead of Putin's economic forum finale

Ukraine's military carried out large-scale strikes across multiple Russian regions overnight on June 6, reaching up to 1,000 kilometers deep into Russian territory and hitting several targets, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

The attack comes ahead of the final day of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the annual event in the former hometown of Russian President Vladimir Putin, as concerns mount over the safety of major Russian cities.

According to Zelensky, Ukrainian drones flew around 1,000 kilometers and targeted Russian naval arsenals and bases in the historic port city of Kronstadt near St. Petersburg. Drones also hit an oil depot in Krasnodar Krai, some 500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, he added.

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) reported a fire and secondary detonations at the Russian Navy's 15th Arsenal in Leningrad Oblast, where missiles and ammunition are stored.

Photos and videos posted on social media show drones flying over the city ahead of the strike.

After the reported attacks, all entry and exit from Kronstadt was briefly prohibited, local transport officials announced.

"All of these military facilities support the operations of Russia's naval group in the Baltic Sea," SBU said.

Russia's Defense Ministry reported that its air defense systems downed 376 drones overnight on June 6, including more than 140 over Leningrad Oblast.

Bridge linking Crimea to southern Ukraine damaged in drone strike, Russian occupation official says

A bridge near the village of Chonhar connecting occupied Crimea with Russian-controlled parts of southern Ukraine was damaged in a Ukrainian drone strike overnight on June 7, Volodymyr Saldo, the Russian-installed head of the occupied part of Kherson Oblast, claimed.

The reported strike comes as Ukraine intensifies efforts to disrupt Russian logistics routes supplying occupied Crimea and front-line forces in southern Ukraine.

According to Saldo, the attack damaged the bridge deck near Chonhar. He said traffic through the Dzhankoi road checkpoint, located on the administrative boundary between occupied Crimea and the occupied part of Kherson Oblast, was suspended for "security reasons."

The Dzhankoi crossing forms part of a key land route linking occupied Crimea with mainland territories under Russian control and serves as an important logistics corridor for Russian supplies.

The reported attack comes amid growing logistical difficulties on the peninsula.

Ukraine's drones take aerial control over part of land route to Russian-occupied Crimea, military says

Drone operators from Ukraine's 3rd Special Operations Forces Regiment have taken aerial control of part of Russia's land supply route to occupied Crimea, the military reported on June 6.

According to the statement, Ukrainian drones are capable of targeting Russian equipment and logistics along the Melitopol — Chonhar route in Ukraine's south, which leads to Crimea, occupied by Russia since 2014.

The regiment said this has complicated Russian military supply and fuel logistics to Crimea. In recent weeks, the peninsula has continued to experience fuel shortages stemming from a combination of Ukrainian strikes on supply routes as well as on oil infrastructure.

"This is just the beginning. More to come," the Ukrainian military said, releasing a video purportedly showing drone strikes.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify the reports.

Ukraine strikes oil depot, marine terminal in occupied Crimea, releases footage of attack

Ukrainian drones struck the Semikolodyansk oil depot near the town of Yedi Quyu in Russian-occupied Crimea overnight on June 7, Ukraine's Special Operations Forces reported.

The facility, located in eastern Crimea about 200 kilometers (120 miles) from the front line, is used for fuel storage and serves as a regional logistics hub. The depot had been closed since the 1990s, but the Russian company BK-Terminal resumed operations there in 2015 after Russia occupied the peninsula, according to Crimean Wind, a pro-Ukrainian Telegram channel.

"The occupying forces are using it as a transshipment point for storing and transporting fuel oil, diesel fuel, bitumen, and other materials," the Special Operations Forces said in a statement.

Pro-Ukrainian outlet Exilenova+ reported that satellite imagery from NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) detected a fire at the depot. According to the outlet, the area of thermal activity continued to expand after the strike.

Ukrainian drones also targeted the marine oil terminal in Feodosia, some 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the front line, the military said. The facility reportedly includes seven fuel storage tanks with capacities from 10,000 to 20,000 cubic meters.

"The terminal is a multifunctional complex for transshipping crude oil and petroleum products from rail tank cars to seagoing vessels," the military said. "The occupiers use this complex to supply occupied Crimea with fuel in case of emergencies on the peninsula."

Ukraine apologizes to Greece over naval drone incident, says it shows Russia's war threat to Europe

Ukraine has apologized to Greece over an incident involving a naval drone that was discovered in the country's waters last month, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said on June 5.

The statement came after Greece issued a formal diplomatic protest to Ukraine on June 3 over the incident. The vessel, which Greece says was Ukrainian, was found by fishermen on the shores of Lefkada on May 7, triggering diplomatic tensions between Athens and Kyiv.

"It was the result of circumstances brought about by the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine," Tykhyi said, adding that Kyiv remains committed to international law and maritime safety and seeks to prevent similar incidents in the future.

In its protest, Greece argued that the vessel's presence posed a threat to maritime traffic and could have resulted in civilian casualties or environmental damage.

According to the Ukrainian spokesperson, Ukraine and Greece share concerns about threats to international and regional security, including maritime security, as well as the activities of Russia's shadow fleet.

Tykhyi thanked the Greek people for their "steadfast support" of Ukraine, saying that Kyiv highly values its friendly relations with Athens.

"The Ukrainian side is convinced that this incident, much like similar occurrences in other regions, demonstrates that Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine poses a threat not only to our country but also to neighboring friendly states, Europe, and the world at large," Tykhyi said.