In response to the bombings in Sumy, Ukraine retaliates with a drone assault
In a series of recent events, tensions between Ukraine and Russia have escalated, with both countries engaging in drone attacks and rocket strikes.
On the night of August 23-24, 2025, Ukrainian combat drones reportedly targeted the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant in western Russia. According to Russian reports, two ballistic missiles of the Iskander-M type were used in the attack. The drone attack caused a fire after one drone was shot down and crashed into an auxiliary transformer, damaging it and reducing unit three of the plant to 50% capacity. No injuries were reported, and radiation levels remained within normal limits. The fire was quickly extinguished.
The attack on Kursk coincided with Ukraine's 34th Independence Day, August 24, 2025, emphasising symbolic timing for Kyiv's offensive operations. Besides Kursk, other regions like the Leningrad area experienced drone strikes, including a fire at the port of Ust-Luga. Russian air defenses claimed to have intercepted dozens of drones over Russian territory during these attacks.
Ukraine has not directly commented on the attack but has acknowledged increased drone strikes inside Russia. The UN nuclear watchdog acknowledged media reports of the incident but has not independently confirmed them and called for protection of nuclear facilities. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) urged restraint near nuclear facilities amid rising tensions.
Ukrainian officials have openly claimed responsibility for targeting Russian critical energy infrastructure in recent months, reflecting a strategy aimed at degrading Russia’s logistical and military capacity.
Meanwhile, in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, at least 34 people died in a Russian rocket attack over the weekend. Olexandr Syrskyj, the commander of the Ukrainian military, claimed that the Ukrainian military has destroyed thousands of Russian military vehicles since the beginning of the year, preventing hundreds of thousands of tons of ammunition, equipment, and fuel from reaching Russian troops along the front lines in Ukraine.
Syrskyj also attached a video showing the destruction of various types of Russian military vehicles, including tanks, by drones. Russia described the rocket strike on Sumy as an attack on a military target - a meeting of enemy commanders. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov repeated that the Russian army only shoots at military or military-related targets.
Several buildings were set on fire in the attack on Kursk, including a garage with ambulances. The claims about the attack on Kursk could not be independently verified. At least 120 others were reportedly injured in the attack.
The death toll from the Russian rocket attack on Sumy has risen to 35. Western politicians, including German federal chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron, have condemned the Russian rocket attack on Sumy.
The major cities of Kyiv and Kharkiv were targeted by Russian combat drones in recent months. The gathering of soldiers near the Russian border in Sumy's center was criticised by a regional mayor and a parliamentarian as a potential target for Russian attacks.
These events reflect ongoing escalations in drone warfare by Ukraine deep into Russian territory with the dual aim of symbolic and strategic impact on Russia’s military and energy infrastructure.
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