Ukraine: A high-voltage power line was damaged on Friday by shelling at a Ukrainian nuclear power plant that Russia has taken over, but the plant was still operational and there were no signs of radioactive leaks, according to Ukrainian officials. Signs were not found.
The damage at Zaporizhzhya, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, was attributed to Russian shelling by Ukraine's state nuclear power company Energoatom.
According to the administration, Russia has established in the city of Enerhodar, the lines of the Southeast Ukrainian plant previously hit by Ukrainian shells.
The Interfax news agency quoted the city administration as saying that a fire had broken out at the plant's property and that the power needed for the reactors to operate safely had been cut off. In early March, as the war was about to begin, Russian forces took control of the plant.
According to Energoatom, the plant, which is about 200 kilometers (160 mi) northwest of the Russian-controlled port of Mariupol, is still operational, and no radioactive discharge has been found.
Both sides claimed minor victories further east as Russian artillery continued its customary bombardment of towns and villages over a wide area.
The area of Pisky in the Donetsk region, a fortified village held by the Ukrainian military and close to the city of Donetsk, which is in the hands of separatist forces backed by Russia, appears to be the scene of fierce fighting on the ground.
In their attempt to take full control of the eastern Donbass region, the Russians also have the cities of Bakhmut and Avdivka.
After the Russian-speaking Kremlin annexed Crimea to the south in 2014, pro-Moscow separatists took control of territory in the Donbass region, which is made up of Luhansk and Donetsk provinces. According to the Russian TASS news agency, on Friday separatist forces claimed they had taken full control of Pisky along with the Russian military. However, Oleksey Erestovich, adviser to the President of Ukraine, said: "There is little evidence of any movement here. The Russians tried to advance, but they were unsuccessful.
The village has become a stronghold for Ukraine, which sees it as a defense against Russian-backed forces occupying the city of Donetsk, which lies about 10 kilometers to the southeast.
Additionally, Tass reported that fighting was taking place at Bakhmut, the next major Russian target and located north of Donetsk.
Russian forces could advance a few hundred meters per day. According to Erestovich, they are trying to encircle our army. Erestovich said a third village was being approached by the Ukrainian military after they had captured two villages close to Izium in the Kharkiv region, which borders Russia.
"This indicates that Ukraine is moving forward. The offensive may not be very significant. However, it is still aggressive," he said. Reuters was unable to confirm claims made by either side regarding the status of the battlefield.
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