IAEA Chief to inspect Kursk Nuclear Power Plant amid Ukrainian offensive
The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, is set to visit the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) due to escalating risks of damage to the facility. In an interview with the Financial Times published on Wednesday, August 21, Grossi stated he would arrive in Kursk at the invitation of Moscow next week to discuss the situation with the plant's management and gather evidence of potential attacks on the station by Ukraine.
Currently, the Kursk NPP is "technically within artillery range" of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Grossi emphasized. "And since there are ongoing hostilities, I am very concerned," he added. The IAEA chief also noted that the two fully operational nuclear reactors at the Kursk plant are of similar design to those at the Chernobyl NPP. "The reactor core is completely exposed. I have visited several such stations. You can walk around and see the fuel elements," explained the expert, highlighting the danger of a direct strike on the NPP.
On August 8, the Russian nuclear agency Rosatom reported the discovery of fragments of downed Ukrainian missiles on the grounds of the Kursk NPP. However, the state corporation did not confirm any direct shelling of the NPP and its energy infrastructure. Previously, Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Ukrainian Armed Forces did not plan or intend to attack the Kursk NPP.
The Kursk NPP is located approximately 40 kilometers west of Kursk. It is one of the largest plants in Russia, consisting of four power units, two of which continue to operate amid the active movement of Ukrainian forces in the region.
Since August 6, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been conducting a large-scale offensive operation in the Kursk region. The Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, announced on August 20 that more than 1260 square kilometers of territory and 93 settlements in the region are under Ukrainian control. According to Syrskyi, Ukrainian formations have advanced 28-35 kilometers into Russian territory.