At least 16 dead in strikes across Ukraine and Russia on Chernobyl anniversary

Key Points:

• Recent strikes across Ukraine, Russian-occupied territories, and Russia have killed at least 16 people, including nine in Dnipro from Russian drone and missile attacks, and others in Sevastopol, Luhansk, and Russia's Belgorod region.
• Ukraine conducted drone strikes deep inside Russian territory, hitting an oil refinery in Yaroslavl, which caused fires and targeted fuel supplies critical for the Russian military.
• The 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster prompted warnings from Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and IAEA Director Rafael Grossi about the risks of continued Russian attacks near the nuclear plant, emphasizing the urgent need for repairs to its damaged protective structure.
• Russia denied targeting the Chernobyl plant after Ukrainian claims of a drone strike on its New Safe Confinement structure, while Moscow accused Kyiv of staging the attack.
• Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov visited North Korea to discuss and formalize long-term military cooperation, awarding Korean service members for their role in Russia's Kursk region amid ongoing conflict with Ukraine.