Kyiv’s forces have made “further advances” in the western part of the Zaporizhzhia region, raising new concerns about fighting near the massive nuclear plant there.
The Ukrainian counteroffensive continued to make gains Saturday, but an uptick in fighting near Europe’s largest nuclear power plant again raised concerns for the United Nations atomic watchdog.
Geolocated footage shows that Kyiv’s forces made “further advances” northwest of Verbove, a village in the western part of the Zaporizhzhia region, according to the U.S.-based think tank The Institute for the Study of War.
To the east, the village of Robotyne was recently recaptured by Ukraine, one of the biggest victories in their four-month offensive.
Footage also shows Ukraine made “marginal gains” near Klishchiivka, a village to the southwest of Bakhmut, a city that has seen some of the war’s most intense and long-lasting battles and was captured by Russia in May.
As Ukraine advanced, the ramped-up fighting near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant also sparked fear over a potential nuclear disaster.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said its experts stationed at the Russian-occupied nuclear power plant reported hearing multiple explosions over the past week, although they did not cause any damage to the plant.
