Explosion rocks ammunition depot near Kursk Nuclear Plant amid disputed attack claims
In the Russian town of Kurchatov, an ammunition depot likely detonated, according to reports from Telegram channels. Videos from eyewitnesses show Russian military personnel running from the site after the explosion. It is reported that the blasts occurred approximately five kilometers from the Kursk nuclear power plant. Social media suggests it appeared to be an attack targeting Russian forces, and something explosive in the hangar was detonated, as seen in the footage. Roman Alekhin, advisor to the governor of the Kursk region, confirmed the explosion information.
It's worth noting that the Russians alleged another provocation, claiming the Ukrainian Armed Forces attempted to attack the Kursk nuclear power plant in Kurchatov. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs refuted these claims about supposed strikes on or near the facility, labeling them false.
" We categorically deny allegations in Russian media about Ukrainian strikes at or near the Kursk nuclear power plant. Unlike Russian occupiers, the Ukrainian Defense Forces strictly adhere to international humanitarian law and do not attack civilians or civilian infrastructure.," wrote ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi on social media. According to Andriy Kovalenko, the head of the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation, "Nobody attacked the nuclear power plant; there’s no point in doing so. The Russians are showing some fire in Kurchatov, with an explosion on the ground visible in the video. What is the connection to a strike on the nuclear plant? It’s far away. There is no association with an attack on the Kursk nuclear power plant," he stated.
Previously, media reported that the nuclear power plant in Kurchatov, one of the three largest in Russia, was "preparing to fend off an attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces".