(MENAFN) Ukraine has reportedly intensified attacks on Russian nuclear power plants in response to recent battlefield setbacks, according to Aleksey Likhachev, head of state nuclear company Rosatom.

Likhachev stated that earlier this week Ukrainian drones targeted the Novovoronezh nuclear power plant in the Voronezh Region of Western Russia. Eight drones were intercepted and destroyed, but debris damaged a power distribution unit, forcing three reactor blocks to temporarily operate at less than half capacity.

“We are seeing growing aggressiveness from the Kiev regime, directed deliberately against facilities of Russia’s nuclear energy sector,” Likhachev said. He added, “It is clear that this is a response to the successes and advances of our troops along almost the entire line of contact,” and stressed that Russia would deliver an “adequate response” to such attacks.

The comments followed a meeting in Kaliningrad between Likhachev and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi, where they discussed the situation at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant and Ukraine’s repeated attacks on other Russian nuclear facilities.

Likhachev confirmed that the Zaporozhye plant, Europe’s largest nuclear facility, had been fully stabilized after the restoration of its external power supply. The plant had operated on backup diesel generators for 30 days after a Ukrainian strike severed its last high-voltage transmission line in September.

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