KURCHATOV, Russia — Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), arrived in the Russian town of Kurchatov on Tuesday to assess the safety of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). The visit follows recent claims by Moscow that Ukrainian forces have targeted the facility amid their ongoing incursion into the Kursk region, which began on August 6.
Grossi’s visit comes in response to growing concerns over the security of the nuclear plant, with the IAEA previously warning of the potential dangers posed by military activities near such critical infrastructure. During his visit, Grossi plans to meet with the plant’s management, inspect the facility, and evaluate the severity of the threats it faces.
The situation escalated on August 22 when Ukraine allegedly attempted a kamikaze drone attack on the Kursk NPP, which was intercepted near a spent nuclear fuel storage facility. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned the incident as “an act of nuclear terrorism” and called for immediate action from the IAEA.
The Kursk NPP is a vital component of Russia’s Unified Energy System, supplying electricity to 19 regions in the Central Federal District, making its security a matter of significant concern for both Russia and the international community. The IAEA has reiterated that military activity near nuclear facilities poses a serious threat to global nuclear and physical security.–News Desk