Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky used the anniversary to accuse Moscow of endangering global nuclear safety, saying repeated Russian drone operations near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant risked triggering another man-made catastrophe.

“Russia is once again bringing the world to the brink of a man-made disaster,” Zelensky wrote on social media, referring to Iranian-designed Shahed drones used extensively by Russian forces since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

He said such drones had repeatedly flown over the plant and that one had struck the protective confinement structure last year, calling for stronger international pressure to halt what he described as “nuclear terrorism.”Russian missile and drone strikes on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro killed at least nine people, regional officials said, making it the deadliest single attack reported during the latest wave of cross-border strikes.

In Russian-occupied Crimea, Moscow-installed authorities said one man was killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on the port city of Sevastopol. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, a move widely rejected by the international community, and has since used the peninsula as a key military logistics hub.

In eastern Ukraine’s occupied Luhansk region, Leonid Pasechnik, the Russia-backed governor, said three people were killed in an overnight Ukrainian drone strike on a village, after earlier reporting two deaths on Saturday.Earlier, authorities in Russia’s Belgorod border region said a woman was killed in a Ukrainian drone attack.

Ukraine did not publicly comment on the strikes in Crimea or Luhansk, and the claims could not be independently verified.Ukraine’s military said it had also struck an oil refinery in Yaroslavl, deep inside Russian territory, triggering fires at a facility that processes around 15 million tons of oil annually and produces gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, including supplies for the Russian military.Russia did not immediately comment on the refinery attack.

Kyiv has increasingly used domestically developed long-range drones capable of reaching targets up to 1,500 km (900 miles) inside Russia, targeting energy infrastructure and military logistics sites.Ukrainian officials argue such strikes are aimed at reducing Russian military capacity, particularly as Moscow seeks to increase oil exports after the Trump administration granted temporary sanctions waivers to ease global supply constraints.

The anniversary of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster also renewed focus on the safety of the damaged reactor site.Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said repairs to the plant’s outer protective shell must begin urgently after damage from a strike last year compromised a key safety function of the structure.

He warned that prolonged delays could increase risks to the original sarcophagus covering Reactor No. 4, the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster.The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development estimated repairs would require at least 500 million euros ($586 million).

Ukraine’s Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said international partners had so far committed 100 million euros in additional funding, on top of a previously agreed 30 million euros.Ukrainian officials say a Russian drone struck the outer shell of the New Safe Confinement structure in February 2025.

The $2.1 billion steel arch, completed in 2019, was built to contain radioactive material over the destroyed reactor.Moscow denied responsibility and accused Kyiv of staging the incident.Separately, Russia’s Defense Minister Andrei Belousov visited North Korea on Sunday for talks with leader Kim Jong Un, where both sides discussed expanding military cooperation.

Belousov said the two countries had agreed to move military ties to a “sustainable, long-term basis,” according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.During the visit, he awarded Russia’s Order of Courage to North Korean troops who served in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces launched a surprise incursion in August 2024.

Kim has supplied thousands of troops and significant weapons shipments to support Russia’s war effort.

Speaking to German broadcaster ZDF, Zelensky said US negotiators, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, were heavily engaged in Middle East diplomacy, leaving limited bandwidth for advancing peace efforts in Ukraine.

He described both figures as “pragmatic” but indicated their current focus had shifted toward managing tensions involving Iran.Zelensky said that a lack of sustained US pressure on Moscow risks emboldening the Kremlin.

“If the United States does not put pressure on Putin and only engages in a gentle dialogue with the Russians, then they will no longer be afraid,” he said.Negotiations aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine have stalled in recent weeks, with no direct talks reported since February meetings in Geneva.

The diplomatic slowdown coincides with the escalation of conflict in the Middle East in late March, which has drawn significant US strategic and military attention.Zelensky also highlighted disruptions in US arms deliveries to Ukraine, calling the situation “a big problem,” particularly in the supply of air defense systems.

He pointed to shortages in PAC-3 and PAC-2 interceptor missiles, which are critical for countering aerial threats.According to Zelensky, these systems are largely procured through the PURL program, a mechanism established last year that allows European countries to finance US military equipment for Ukraine.

He said deliveries under the program had slowed, creating operational challenges for Ukrainian forces.“At the very beginning of the war in the Middle East we understood that we can have challenges,” Zelensky said, adding that the delays have placed Ukraine in a “very difficult position.”

Later in Norway, Zelensky met Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, where the two countries signed a joint declaration aimed at enhancing defense and security cooperation. The agreement includes plans to expand collaboration between defense industries and initiate production of Ukrainian drones in Norway.

Earlier in the day, Zelensky led a delegation to Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and senior officials.

The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral defense ties and advancing a broader strategic partnership amid the protracted conflict with Russia, now in its fifth year.

Zelensky has conducted a series of high-level visits to Gulf and regional states, including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan and Syria, positioning Kyiv as a provider of security expertise in a region where influence has often tilted toward Russia.

Analysts say Ukraine’s battlefield experience, particularly in countering Iranian-designed drones used by Russian forces, has enabled it to offer specialized anti-drone capabilities abroad.

Ukrainian officials said more than 200 experts were deployed to multiple countries in response to escalating drone activity during the regional conflict.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said Moscow was reacting negatively to Kyiv’s expanding ties in the Gulf, accusing Russia and Iran of spreading disinformation aimed at undermining Ukraine’s role in the region.

The diplomatic push marks a shift from 2022, when Kyiv relied heavily on Western partners for military assistance following Russia’s invasion. The proliferation of drone warfare has since allowed Ukraine to develop niche capabilities that are now in demand internationally.

While details of the security agreements remain undisclosed, analysts say Ukraine may seek financial backing from Gulf states to scale its defense technologies. Some observers suggest Kyiv could leverage these partnerships to secure investment and sustain its military innovation sector.

However, analysts caution that the outreach has yet to produce a strategic breakthrough. Many Middle Eastern states have maintained balanced relations with both Kyiv and Moscow, avoiding sanctions on Russia while positioning themselves as mediators in the conflict.

The durability of Ukraine’s expanded role may also depend on the trajectory of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire and continued demand for its defense capabilities in the region.

Zelensky said Kyiv had deployed several hundred military specialists to the Middle East following the outbreak of conflict involving Iran, aiming to share its experience in countering drone threats and safeguarding maritime routes.

“Ukrainian military personnel are taking part in consultations on the further operation of the Strait of Hormuz. Safe navigation is a global value; we know this from our experience defending the Black Sea,” Zelensky said in his evening address.

Ukraine has relied on asymmetric tactics and technological innovations during its war with Russia, including the use of naval drones, to counter attempts to restrict access to the Black Sea, a critical corridor for its economy and military operations.

Zelensky said interest in Ukraine’s defense capabilities is expanding beyond Europe, with diplomats receiving requests from Asian countries seeking cooperation on maritime security and related technologies.He did not identify the countries involved but said officials had been instructed to engage on the requests promptly.

Ukraine’s participation in Hormuz-related discussions reflects growing international focus on securing key maritime chokepoints amid ongoing geopolitical tensions affecting global energy and trade flows.

Speaking to reporters, Zelensky said the messages followed a sharp escalation in global energy prices linked to widening conflict in the Middle East, which has disrupted supplies of oil, gas and refined products. He said Kyiv remained open to an Easter ceasefire under reciprocal conditions.

Signals tied to energy market pressuresA source familiar with the matter said U.S. officials had conveyed the concerns during routine contacts with Ukrainian counterparts, adding that the initial signals appeared to have originated from Moscow.

The US State Department and Russia’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Ukraine has intensified strikes on Russian oil facilities in recent months as part of its broader strategy to undermine revenues supporting Moscow’s military campaign.

The reported outreach from allies reflects concern that such attacks could further tighten global supply at a time of already elevated prices.Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have left the country facing acute shortages, forcing authorities to secure alternative supplies.

Zelensky said Kyiv had reached agreements with several Middle Eastern countries to bolster energy support following a recent regional visit.He said Ukraine had secured a deal for year-long diesel deliveries, critical for both military operations and the agricultural sector, though he did not disclose volumes or suppliers.

Ukraine also signed framework cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and indicated another agreement was being prepared with the United Arab Emirates.

Zelensky said he had also discussed air defense needs with regional leaders, but noted that partners were currently prioritizing deployments to the Middle East due to ongoing hostilities involving Iran.

He added that Ukraine risked being sidelined in the allocation of advanced anti-ballistic missile systems as international focus shifts toward the escalating regional conflict.

Regional governor Alexander Drozdenko said in a statement on social media that 38 drones were intercepted overnight and that the port, located on the Gulf of Finland, sustained fresh damage for the third time in a week.

He did not specify the extent of the damage.Repeated strikes on export hubUst-Luga is a major node for Russian exports of fertilizers, oil and coal, and has been targeted multiple times in recent days.

Russian authorities previously reported fires at the port following drone strikes on Sunday and Wednesday.The latest attack underscores growing pressure on infrastructure tied to Russia’s export revenues, which Kyiv has increasingly targeted as part of its military strategy.

Ukraine has stepped up long-range drone operations against Russian facilities, including refineries, oil depots and ports. Officials in Kyiv say such strikes are intended to disrupt revenue streams that support Moscow’s military campaign.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has defended the attacks as a proportionate response to Russia’s offensive, though Ukrainian authorities did not immediately comment on the latest incident.

Efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict have faltered, with talks between Moscow and Kyiv, brokered by the United States, losing momentum. Diplomatic attention has been diverted by intensifying hostilities in the Middle East, further complicating prospects for de-escalation in the four-year war.

Russia has not provided additional operational details on the overnight interceptions or potential disruptions to port activity.

3:05pm: Russian forces intensify shelling of strategic eastern city of Bakhmut

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that Ukrainian troops were facing a “most difficult” situation near the eastern town of Bakhmut, which has been under attack from the Russian army for weeks.

Ukraine is clawing back territory in both the east and south, occupied by Russia for months, but is facing a challenge in some areas.

“A very severe situation persists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions,” Zelensky said, referring to two of the regions Russia claims to have annexed in staged referendums in September.

“The most difficult is near Bakhmut, like in previous days. We are still holding our positions,” he said.

Russian troops have for weeks been pummelling Bakhmut, a wine-making and salt-mining city that once had a population of 70,000.

3:05pm: Ukraine says shooting in Russian military base caused by row over religion

The gunmen who killed 11 and wounded 15 at a Russian military training camp near the Ukrainian border were from Tajikistan and had opened fire after an argument over religion, Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said on YouTube.

No civilians died in the attack but many soldiers were killed or wounded, the governor of Russia’s Belgorod region said.

2:45pm: Russia says Belgorod region bordering Ukraine hit by fresh strikes

The Russian Belgorod region bordering Ukraine was hit by strikes on Sunday, leaving at least four people injured in the latest attacks in the area, Russian officials said.

“As a result of shelling in Belgorod, three people from the same family were injured,” regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov posted on Telegram on Sunday after visiting the family. Two of them were hospitalised. 

Gladkov posted photos of damage, smashed windows and craters after strikes in the city and in the region of Belgorod. Around 16 explosions were recorded in the city of Belgorod, Russia’s investigative committee, which investigates serious crimes, said Sunday.

2:14pm: Belarus says it is hosting just under 9,000 Russian troops

The defence ministry in Minsk on Sunday said just under 9,000 Russian troops would be stationed in Belarus as part of a “regional grouping” of forces to protect its borders.

“The first troop trains with Russian servicemen who are part of the (regional grouping) began to arrive in Belarus,” Valeriy Revenko, head of the defence ministry’s international military cooperation department, wrote on Twitter. “The relocation will take several days.”

“The total number will be a little less than 9,000 people.”

More information would be provided at a briefing for military attachés, he added.

1:22pm: Russia says its forces repelled Ukrainian advances in Donetsk, Kherson, Mykolaiv regions

Russia’s defence ministry on Sunday said its forces had repelled efforts by Ukrainian troops to advance in the Donetsk, Kherson and Mykolaiv regions, inflicting what it described as significant losses against the enemy.

The battlefield reports could not immediately be verified.

Russia also said it was continuing air strikes on military and energy targets in Ukraine, using long-range precision-guided weapons.

11:26am: Rockets strike mayor’s office in separatist Donetsk

The mayor’s office in a key eastern Ukrainian city controlled by pro-Kremlin separatists was struck by rockets Sunday morning, Russian state agencies reported. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

According to RIA Novosti, the municipal building in Donetsk was seriously damaged by the attack, which local separatist authorities blamed on Ukraine. 

Photos circulating on social media showed plumes of smoke swirling around the building, rows of blown-out windows and a partially collapsed ceiling. RIA Novosti and local media also reported that three cars parked nearby had burnt out as a result of the strike. 

Kyiv didn’t immediately claim responsibility or comment on the attack. 

6:59am: No civilians killed in attack at Russian military base, says local governor

No civilians were killed in the attack at a military base in Russia’s Belgorod region, but many soldiers were killed or wounded, the governor of Belgorod region Vyacheslav Gladkov said early on Sunday.

“A terrible event happened on our territory, on the territory of one of the military units,” Gladkov said in a video post on the Telegram messaging app.

“Many soldiers were killed and wounded … There are no residents of the Belgorod region among the wounded and killed.”

Gladkov did not say how many soldiers were killed. The state RIA news agency cited the defence ministry as saying that 11 people were killed and 15 others were wounded. 

9:36pm: At least 11 dead, 15 wounded in shooting at Russian military training ground

At least 11 people were killed and 15 more wounded at a training ground in south-western Russia on Saturday when two attackers opened fire on a group of volunteers who wished to fight in Ukraine, the RIA news agency said.

The Russian news agency, citing the defence ministry, said the two assailants had been shot dead after the attack in the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine. It said they were nationals from a former Soviet republic but did not give any details.

“During a firearms training session with individuals who voluntarily expressed a desire to participate in the special military operation (against Ukraine), the terrorists opened fire with small arms on the personnel of the unit,” RIA cited a defence ministry statement as saying. “As a result of the shooting, 11 people were fatally wounded. Another 15 people with wounds of varying severity were taken to a medical facility,” it said.

Authorities in Belgorod have repeatedly accused Ukraine of attacking targets in the city, but Kyiv has not claimed any responsibility.

Based on inputs from FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and REUTERS.