Russia and Ukraine continued their attacks against each other on Monday.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Monday that its forces had gained control of a settlement in Kharkiv, destroying a significant amount of Ukrainian military equipment.
The Russian air defense systems intercepted six US-made HIMARS rockets, one Neptune long-range cruise missile, and 356 fixed-wing drones. Furthermore, Russian forces targeted energy infrastructure in 145 locations across Ukraine, along with Ukrainian fuel storage sites and areas prepared for the storage and launch of drones.
On the same day, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that there were 231 combat encounters along the front lines in the past day.
The Ukrainian Air Force, along with missile units and artillery, struck three concentration areas of Russian personnel, weapons, and military equipment.
Furthermore, the Ukrainian Air Force said that since 20:00 on Sunday, Russian forces had launched attacks on Ukraine using 116 attack drones. By 09:00 on Monday, Ukrainian air defense had successfully shot down or suppressed 83 of those drones.
Also on Monday, multiple rounds of shelling were heard at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) amid the longest off-site power loss of the plant, posing "growing risks" to its nuclear safety and security, according to a UN nuclear watchdog statement.
The shelling occurred in the afternoon, totaling about 15 rounds at near and middle distance from the site. The ZNPP informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that two rounds of shelling struck around 1.25 km from the site perimeter, the IAEA statement said.
No casualties have been reported and there was no immediate information of any damages. However, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said the shelling further underlined the constant dangers facing the ZNPP.
The nuclear safety and security situation is clearly not improving. On the contrary, the risks are growing, Grossi said. The plant has now been without off-site power for almost two weeks, forcing it to rely on emergency diesel generators for the electricity it needs to cool its shutdown reactors and spent fuel. This is an extraordinarily challenging situation, Grossi said.
In the statement, Grossi called for maximum military restraint near nuclear facilities and said he will continue to engage with Russia and Ukraine to restore the plant's off-site power as soon as possible.
Russia, Ukraine continue their attacks against each other
