Zelensky Meets E3 Leaders After Chornobyl Drone Strike

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Downing Street on Sunday for talks on European support for Ukraine. The meeting came hours after Ukrainian officials reported a Russian drone strike on a spent nuclear fuel storage facility near the Chornobyl nuclear plant in northern Ukraine. Officials said a fire was extinguished and there were no injuries, while radiation levels remained stable.

Ukraine’s state-owned nuclear operator Enerhoatom said the strike partially destroyed a storage building at the site. The operator said radiation levels remained at a normal level after the fire was put out.

Zelensky condemned what he called a “vile Russian strike,” while Enerhoatom accused Moscow of a deliberate threat to nuclear safety. Russia has not been cited responding in the information provided.

Enerhoatom reports damage; officials say radiation stable

The storage facility involved holds spent nuclear fuel, an area of heightened sensitivity because of the risks linked to damage or fire. Ukrainian officials said the incident did not lead to an abnormal radiation reading.

The strike was reported as Zelensky prepared to meet key European backers, with the UK, France and Germany among Ukraine’s closest partners. The three leaders are part of the so-called E3 group.

Officials said Russia has continued striking targets across Ukraine, including attacks in and around Zaporizhzhia. Ukrainian authorities said at least three people were killed in a strike in a village outside Zaporizhzhia.

Drone attacks reach Russian territory as diplomacy continues

Separately, Ukraine has stepped up long-range drone attacks into Russian territory, including strikes targeting St. Petersburg and the surrounding area. Russian authorities described the attacks as “unprecedented,” and they coincided with a major economic forum in the city.

In the four years since Russia’s invasion began, Ukraine has developed its defense sector and says it can regularly hit targets inside Russia.

In London, the leaders discussed continued European support for Ukraine, including the “coalition of the willing” initiative that the UK and France have led to provide security guarantees as part of a possible future peace process.

Officials and leaders are expected to continue talks on military support and security arrangements, while fighting and drone attacks on both sides remain a central factor shaping the diplomatic push.