Putin accuses Ukraine of targeting Kursk Nuclear Power Plant
Russian president Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of attempting an attack on the Kursk nuclear power plant. "The enemy tried to strike the nuclear power plant at night," state agency TASS quoted him as saying during a meeting on Ukrainian Armed Forces' offensive operations in the Kursk region on Thursday, August 22.
Putin did not provide any evidence for his accusations. According to him, Moscow has notified the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), whose specialists are expected to arrive at the site to assess the situation.
A few hours earlier, Alexey Smirnov, the acting governor of the Kursk region, announced that amid the ongoing military operation by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the region, several cities, including Kursk, Zheleznogorsk, and Kurchatov—home to the nuclear power plant—have begun setting up reinforced concrete shelters to protect against shelling.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stated that he intends to visit the Kursk nuclear power plant next week at Moscow's invitation. According to him, the plant is currently "within the technical range of Ukrainian artillery."
The Kursk nuclear power plant is one of Russia's largest, comprising four reactor units, two of which remain operational despite active military actions in the area. On August 8, Rosatom disclosed that fragments and debris from downed missiles were found on the site. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that their armed forces have neither plans nor desires to attack the Kursk nuclear power plant.