Russia warns Ukraine against attacking Kursk nuclear power plant

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Ukraine is acting "very dangerously" by continuing its attacks on the Kursk nuclear power plant (NPP), Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

Speaking at a news conference in Moscow, Peskov addressed media reports alleging that Ukrainian forces attempted to drop a French aerial bomb on the plant, warning that "Kyiv continues to play with fire."

Moscow has been informing the International Atomic Energy Agency of such incidents, Peskov added.

The spokesman also confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin received updates from Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov and Defense Minister Andrey Belousov on the capture of Vuhledar, a city in the Donetsk region.

Vuhledar, a key logistics hub, is strategically important because controlling it opens the path toward Ukraine's strongholds in Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, potentially allowing for a major offensive towards the Zaporizhzhia region in the future.

Asked about Putin's attendance at the upcoming G20 summit in Brazil, Peskov said no decision had been made yet.

In response to US President Joe Biden’s comments about potential talks with Putin at the G20 summit or the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Peru this November, Peskov said the Russian president remains open to dialogue.

"There have been no conversations on this matter, and at present, there are no prerequisites,” he added.

Brazil has chaired the G20 since December 2023, with the summit set to take place on Nov. 18-19 in Rio de Janeiro. The APEC summit in Peru is scheduled for Nov. 9-16.