Russia launched its sixth air attack this month on Kyiv early on Tuesday, the military administration of the Ukrainian capital said, a day after Russia warned of “tough retaliatory measures” after a drone attack on Moscow. And the UN’s nuclear watchdog said it had found anti-personnel mines in an area of the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine and complained for the second month running that this violated safety procedures. Read our live blog for all the latest developments. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).

7:03am: Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant’s fourth and fifth blocks in shutdown mode

The fourth and fifth blocks of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant were put in a shutdown mode, the Moscow-installed administration of the plant said on Tuesday.

“In order to conduct a scheduled technical inspection of the equipment of power unit No. 5, the management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant decided to transfer it to the ‘cold shutdown,’ state,” the administration said on its Telegram channel.

“And in order to provide steam for the station’s own needs, the reactor plant of power unit No. 4 was transferred to the ‘hot shutdown’ state.”

5:00am: Kyiv says drones downed after Russia warns of retaliation over Moscow strike

Russia launched a nighttime drone attack on Kyiv, local authorities said on Tuesday, adding all incoming drones had been shot down and early information indicated no damage or casualties.

The reported attack comes a day after Russia warned of “tough retaliatory measures” after a drone attack on Moscow, some 500 kilometres (300 miles) from Ukraine.

Russia “attacked Kyiv with strike UAVs,” Sergiy Popko, head of the Kyiv city military administration, said on Telegram, without specifying how many or where they had been launched from.

“The air alert lasted for 3 hours… All air targets were detected and destroyed on the approach to Kyiv,” it said.

“According to the information at this moment, there were no victims or destruction in the capital.”

The Kyiv regional military administration had earlier issued an alert for drone attacks and warned residents to stay in shelters.

The air force also issued an alert for drone strikes on the southern Odesa and Mykolayiv regions, which share part of Ukraine’s Black Sea coast.

The regions are home to port infrastructure that Moscow has battered regularly with attack drones and missiles since exiting a deal facilitating the safe shipment of grain from Ukraine last week.

3:39am: Mines found at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, says UN watchdog

The UN’s atomic watchdog said it saw anti-personnel mines at the site of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is occupied by Russian forces.

On July 23 International Atomic Energy Agency experts “saw some mines located in a buffer zone between the site’s internal and external perimeter barriers,” agency chief Rafael Grossi said in a statement on Monday.

The statement did not say how many mines the team had seen.

The devices were in “restricted areas” that operating plant personnel cannot access, Grossi said, adding the IAEA‘s initial assessment was that any detonation “should not affect the site’s nuclear safety and security systems”.

Laying explosives at the site was “inconsistent with the IAEA safety standards and nuclear security guidance” and created additional psychological pressure on staff, he added.

1:32am: Russia launches air attack on Kyiv, according to Ukraine’s military

Russia launched an air attack on Kyiv early on Tuesday, the military administration of the Ukrainian capital said.

“On the outskirts of Kyiv, air defence systems are being engaged (in repelling the attack),” Serhiy Popko, head of the administration said on the Telegram messaging channel.

12:08am: US to send up to $400 million in military aid to Ukraine, officials say

The Biden administration is sending up to $400 million in additional military aid to Ukraine, including a variety of munitions for advanced air defense systems and a number of small, surveillance Hornet drones, US officials said Monday, as attacks in the war escalated to include strikes in Moscow and Crimea.

The package includes an array of ammunition – ranging from missiles for the High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) to Stingers and Javelins. The weapons are being provided through presidential drawdown authority, which allows the Pentagon to quickly take items from its own stocks and deliver them to Ukraine, often within days.

Officials said the US is also sending howitzer artillery rounds and 32 Stryker armored vehicles, along with demolition equipment, mortars, Hydra-70 rockets and 28 million rounds of small arms ammunition. The Hornets are tiny nano-drones that are used largely for intelligence gathering. Ukraine has also gotten them in the past from other Western allies.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to AP because the aid package has not yet been announced.

Key developments from Monday, July 24:

A Ukrainian defence source has reportedly confirmed Kyiv’s involvement in a drone attack on Moscow early Monday morning, calling the incident a “special operation” by Ukraine’s military intelligence.

Russia said 17 Ukrainian drones also attacked Crimea and that neither attack resulted in casualties.

Russia will replace exports of Ukrainian grain to Africa, President Vladimir Putin said, after Moscow exited a deal allowing their safe shipment.

Read yesterday’s live blog to see how the day’s events unfolded.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP & Reuters)

Originally published on France24