MOSCOW: Russia’s nuclear watchdog chief, Alexei Likhachev, held talks with IAEA head Rafael Grossi on the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in a Russian-occupied part of Ukraine, state nuclear agency Rosatom said.

The discussions focused on safety and security concerns, Rosatom said. Rosatom said on Saturday that a Ukrainian drone had struck the Russian-controlled plant, Europe’s largest, causing no damage to key equipment, but the Kyiv military denied it.

Meanwhile, Russia fired a record number of long-range drones at Ukraine in May, an analysis of Ukrainian air force data showed on Monday, as Kyiv appealled to allies for air defence support.

Russia launched 8,150 long-range drones in May, according to a compilation of daily air force reports, up to 24 percent on the number fired in April.

Kyiv has developed a robust network of air defence systems across the country that is capable of downing most drones, but it still relies on Western allies to down Russian missiles.

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2026