Worker killed in drone strike at Zaporizhzhia plant; Moscow hit by 862 drones

A worker at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine was killed in a drone strike, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported. The victim was a welder working in the plant’s central repair workshop.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi condemned the attack and warned that any endangerment of staff at a nuclear facility is unacceptable, calling on the warring parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid a potential nuclear catastrophe. The agency maintains a permanent team at the site to monitor safety conditions.

Escalation of drone strikes and heavy toll on Moscow

In a separate development, Moscow was the target of a large-scale drone assault overnight, Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said. According to his office, a total of 862 drones were launched toward the Moscow region, and 170 were shot down while approaching the capital.

Russian authorities say most of the drones were intercepted by air defence forces. Russian officials described the incident as one of the largest reported attacks this year; a previous large wave was recorded on the night between October 28 and 29, when about 613 drones were allegedly launched.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the attack “unusual,” noting it occurred during the Russia–Africa summit. Russian military statements also recall an attack on the night of September 19–20 when roughly 1,600 drones were reportedly destroyed, about 450 of which were aimed at Moscow.

Meanwhile, a humanitarian convoy carrying food, medical supplies and other aid set out overnight for the southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky, which is under Russian control. Reports say journalists from France, Italy, Russia, Ukraine and the United States are travelling with the convoy, and Russian human-rights commissioner Lana Lantratova is among those present. Moscow and Kyiv have said mine-clearance operations around Oleshky are complete, enabling deliveries and some evacuations.

Ukrainian authorities reported Russian strikes on industrial sites near Kremenchuk and on areas around Kyiv and Kharkiv, which caused fires. The assaults followed deadly strikes the previous day.

Photo: press material from the event