Parts of the Novovoronezh nuclear power plant in southwestern Russia were temporarily taken offline overnight after a cross-border drone attack from Ukraine, in a highly dangerous close-call for the nuclear site and its operators.
By morning, power was restored to all sections of the plant, head of the state nuclear agency Rosatom, Alexei Likhachev, said. He described that about eight drones targeted the facility but all were intercepted; however, debris from a downed drone reportedly damaged the site.
“Approximately eight drones were directed – there is no doubt about this – toward the Novovoronezh nuclear power plant,” Likhachev said. “All of them were neutralized and shot down. However, debris fell and damaged the main switchgear.”
The senior official then said a “preventative measure” was taken to disconnect three power units to the facility, but everything was brought back online by Thursday morning.
Ukraine has not acknowledged the accusation of targeting the Novovoronezh facility. But the timing is interesting given the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director Rafael Grossi is currently visiting Russia to meet with Likhachev.
The visit is to discuss and monitor the current situation of nuclear power plants on either side of the crisis, as both Russia and Ukraine have at times accused the other of targeting them.
Currently, Russia holds the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, which is said to be is cold shutdown mode as a safety measure.
Meanwhile both sides continue to trade drones and missiles, with energy sites being a foremost target of the conflict. From Russia’s point of view, it the attacks on oil refineries and transit sites which remains most alarming:
Oil deliveries to the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk were suspended after Ukrainian strikes damaged key energy infrastructure in one of the most disruptive overnight attacks on the Krasnodar region in recent months, Reuters reported Friday, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter.
Russia’s state pipeline monopoly Transneft halted crude flows into Novorossiysk, according to two sources cited by the news agency, while the port also stopped receiving and loading oil following the attack.
After many months of similar headlines related to other facilities, it’s being widely reported that some 20% of oil refining is currently offline.
🚨 Russia’s Rosatom chief meets with IAEA head over Zaporozhye nuclear plant
Alexey Likhachev and Rafael Grossi are holding talks in Russia’s Kaliningrad
The goal: discuss how to jointly prevent nuclear accidents at the Zaporozhye power plant amid RECKLESS Ukraine’s attacks pic.twitter.com/VdOqfXejkJ
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) November 14, 2025
However, this appears to have had limited effect so far, given the “disruption cut output by only 3-6% as Moscow relied on idle units to absorb the damage, Russian industry sources told Reuters.”
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