Ukraine’s destruction of a massive fuel transporter ferry further embarrassed Russia this week
(Picture: East2West/X/@OlgaK2013)
Vladimir Putin has attempted to deflect attention from embarrassing losses on home soil by accusing Ukraine of ‘nuclear terrorism’.
Moscow remains on the back foot after failing to repel a Ukrainian surprise attack in Russia’s Kursk region which began two weeks ago.
The offensive has allowed Ukraine to hit strategic ports near the Crimea region and is forcing Russia to deploy young conscripts in battle despite previous pledges by Putin that they would not participate in ‘hostilities’.
Footage showed a ferry loaded with 30 fuel tankers up in flames after a Ukrainian attack in Port Kavkaz yesterday.
On the same day, the Russian president appeared on television to accuse Ukraine of attempting to attack the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant.
He said: ‘The enemy attempted to strike the nuclear power plant. today.
‘The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been informed.
Ukraine has captured hundreds of Russian conscripts in Kursk (Picture: E2W News)
‘They promise to come themselves, and send specialists to assess the situation.
‘I hope that this will eventually be done.’
Putin offered no evidence or details of the attack.
His defence ministry said in a separate statement that three drones had been shot down in Kursk overnight, and said they were part of a ‘terrorist attack’ on Russian facilities.
A rattled Putin appeared on TV to accuse Ukraine of ‘terrorism’ (Picture: Getty)
The state-controlled TASS news agency quoted an unnamed source as saying one of the drones was shot down near a storage facility used to store depleted nuclear fuel from the Kursk plant.
Even if an attack on the facility had been successful, there is no clear way it could have caused a nuclear incident at the plant itself.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi is due to visit the plant itself next week and has urged both sides to show maximum restraint.
Kyiv says its attacks on Russian soil are aimed at creating a buffer zone to cut off areas which Russia previously used to bombard Ukrainian towns and cities.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.