Ukraine celebrates its 34th Independence Day amid the ongoing war with Russia

A Ukrainian drone shot down by Russian air defence systems caused a short-lived fire at the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, the facility's press service said Sunday, stressing that background radiation around the plant remained at "natural levels." The detonation reportedly damaged an auxiliary transformer, reducing the plant's capacity. This comes as Ukraine celebrates its 34th Independence Day this Sunday. The country formally declared independence from the Soviet Union on August 24, 1991. On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other officials marked another national holiday, National Flag Day. France24 welcomes Tetyana Ogarkova, Journalist at Ukraine Crisis Media Center from Kyiv.