Key facts
- Energoatom is accused of $3.8 million in graft during the construction of the Tashlyk Pumped-Storage Power Plant.
- A Ukrainian drone strike injured at least three engineers demining an area around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station.
- Power supply to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has been restored after repairs to the Ferrosplavnaya-1 power line.
- A temporary ceasefire brokered by the IAEA preceded the restoration of power to Zaporizhzhia.
- Russian officials accused Ukraine of a drone attack violating the truce at Zaporizhzhia.
- Explosive-laden drones launched by Ukraine towards Finland on May 15 triggered a security alert.
- The Finnish security alert affected 1.8 million people and halted air traffic at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport.
- The Finnish Defense Forces confirmed no violation of Finnish airspace.
- A Russian drone struck a spent nuclear fuel storage facility near Chornobyl.
- The Chornobyl facility strike partially destroyed its container reception building.
- Ukrainian officials confirmed no nuclear fuel was stored on-site at the Chornobyl facility at the time of the strike.
- Radiation levels remained stable following the Chornobyl facility strike.
Ukraine's state-owned nuclear energy company, Energoatom, is under scrutiny following allegations of $3.8 million in graft. Anti-corruption investigators claim the funds were siphoned off during the construction of the Tashlyk Pumped-Storage Power Plant. This accusation surfaces amid previous links between Energoatom and an alleged extortion scheme involving a businessman reportedly close to President Zelensky.
In a separate incident, a Ukrainian drone struck engineers who were demining an area around the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, resulting in at least three injuries. This occurred during an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)-brokered ceasefire intended to restore the plant's external power line. Power to the Zaporizhzhia plant was subsequently restored after repairs were completed on the Ferrosplavnaya-1 power line. Russian officials attributed the incident to a Ukrainian drone attack that violated the truce, while the IAEA had brokered the temporary ceasefire.
Further complicating the security landscape, explosive-laden drones launched by Ukraine towards Finland on May 15 caused a significant security alert. The incident affected 1.8 million people and led to the halting of air traffic at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. While initially suspected to be of Russian origin, Ukraine later issued a warning suggesting an accidental launch. The Finnish Defense Forces ultimately confirmed that no violation of Finnish airspace had occurred.
Adding to the drone-related incidents, a Russian drone targeted a spent nuclear fuel storage facility near Chornobyl. The strike partially destroyed the facility's container reception building. Ukrainian officials stated that no nuclear fuel was stored on-site at the time of the attack, and radiation levels remained stable. Russia's UN envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, commented on a separate drone incident in Romania, claiming Western countries are using it for "anti-Russian information warfare" and are not genuinely interested in a thorough investigation, pointing to inconsistencies in Romania's account and suggesting alternative explanations, including Ukrainian provocation.