Nuclear power plant: IAEA chief warns of danger for Russian Kursk nuclear power plant

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, warned of the danger to the reactor during a visit to the Russian nuclear power plant in Kursk, which is close to the front. The nuclear power plant in the town of Kurchatov is an atomic facility that is in operation, Grossi said in a statement broadcast by Russian state television. “And attacks can end dangerously,” he said, according to a Russian translation. The fighting in the area is causing serious concern.

Grossi warned of the danger of a nuclear incident in the event of fighting directly at the nuclear power plant. The reactors have no protective cover, which makes them particularly vulnerable to damage in the event of a drone attack or artillery fire. So far, however, operations have been running almost normally, said Grossi. He has inspected the most important objects, including the reactor and machine halls, the control unit and the storage area for spent fuel elements.

According to the Russian nuclear energy holding company Rosatom, Grossi also took a look at the traces of suspected Ukrainian attacks at the plant. According to Russian sources, the IAEA chief again demanded that the rules for nuclear safety must be observed. Nuclear power plants must not be used as a war target, he stressed.

Grossi plans talks with President Selenskyj in Kyiv

After the start of the Ukrainian offensive on August 6 in the Kursk region, Russia reported that debris from a fired missile had fallen onto the nuclear power plant site. Russian President Vladimir Putin also accused Ukraine of attempting to attack the nuclear power plant on August 22.

Grossi said that Putin himself had invited him to visit the nuclear power plant. It was important to keep the communication channels open and to continue cooperation. Grossi also said he wanted to travel to Kyiv to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

This concerns the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, which is occupied by Russian troops, and other nuclear facilities in the country. Grossi said that Kiev had asked for an expansion of the IAEA presence in Ukraine. IAEA experts are deployed at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.

Grossi has already visited the Russian-occupied Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia several times and stationed an IAEA team there. The constant presence of international experts not only serves to monitor the situation, but also to deter hostilities that could trigger a nuclear accident.

Civil protection: radiation levels within normal range

According to the Russian civil defense, radiation levels in Kurchatov were within the normal range. The ecological situation is being monitored around the clock, they said.

The nuclear power plant in the town of Kurchatov is located about 30 kilometers from the furthest known advance of the Ukrainians. According to Ukrainian sources, the advance is continuing. However, it is still unclear whether the nuclear power plant is a target of the Ukrainian advance.

Rosatom chief Alexei Lichtshov announced that he would meet with Grossi in Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea next week to discuss the results of the visit to Kursk. During Grossi’s stay, according to Russian media, there was an air raid warning because of possible missile strikes.