Zelensky meets allies in UK after nuclear facility hit in Russian attacks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in London for crucial defense talks with the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. His visit follows a wave of Russian attacks that claimed five lives and struck a nuclear facility.

Zelensky announced his presence in London on social media, stating his intention to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The European leaders will first convene for a trilateral meeting before Zelensky joins them. Their agenda includes assessing efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, according to the French presidency.

Kyiv is actively seeking ways to enhance Western pressure on Russia to cease hostilities. Simultaneously, Ukraine is appealing for more ammunition to bolster its air defenses against relentless daily Russian bombardments. The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia attacked the country with 236 drones early Sunday, though 215 were intercepted.

An impact "partially destroyed" a container reception building at the used nuclear fuel storage facility in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, reported Ukraine's state nuclear operator Energoatom. The building was empty at the time, and radiation levels remained normal. International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi called the incident "deeply concerning," while Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sibiga accused Moscow of "threatening nuclear safety."

In southeastern Ukraine, shelling in the Zaporizhzhia region killed two people and injured three on Sunday, according to regional governor Ivan Fedorov and the police. "The attacks fell near a public transport stop," Fedorov stated. In the city of Zaporizhzhia, a 56-year-year-old minibus driver died following a Russian drone attack, Ukraine's emergency services reported on Telegram. In the central Dnipropetrovsk region, two men perished in separate attacks, Governor Oleksander Ganzha announced on Telegram. Ukraine has also recently intensified its drone attacks on occupied territories and Russia, in retaliation for daily Russian strikes on its own territory. The Russian Defense Ministry announced Sunday it had intercepted 95 Ukrainian drones since the previous night. A Ukrainian drone attack on a car in Russia's Belgorod border region killed one woman and injured her husband, local authorities reported.