UN nuclear agency chief to lead mission that would inspect Kursk Nuclear Power Plant

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced on Monday that he will personally lead a mission that would inspect the situation at the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, which Russia claimed Ukraine tried targeting in a drone attack last week.

“Given the serious situation, I am personally leading the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission to the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) in the Russian Federation,” Rafael Grossi said in a statement published by the IAEA.

Last Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed Ukraine tried to strike the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, and that the IAEA had been informed of the situation and promised to send specialists to assess the situation at the plant.

Ukrainian authorities have not commented on Putin’s claim, and independent verification of the claim is difficult due to the ongoing conflict.

Grossi said that he has been closely following developments on the ground, adding that the IAEA “will be there” when the international community needs an independent assessment of the safety and security of a nuclear facility.

“This is an evolving situation, and it is vital when I arrive at the plant tomorrow that I see first-hand the situation and discuss modalities for further activities as may be needed to evaluate the nuclear safety and security conditions of the KNPP,” he said.

The Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, located in the town of Kurchatov, is almost 60 kilometers (about 37 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

The broader Kursk region has been the site of an “operation” by Kyiv since the night of Aug. 5-6, when Ukrainian forces entered the region near the town of Sudzha, about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the border.

Putin accused Kyiv of carrying out a “large-scale provocation” and “indiscriminate shooting,” defining the incursion as a “terrorist attack.”

Days later, Zelenskyy admitted it was an “operation” by Ukraine’s troops, specifying that the goal is to create a “buffer zone” against Russian attacks.

On Aug. 17, Russia’s State Nuclear Energy Corporation Rosatom indicated that the situation around the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant had deteriorated due to Ukrainian attacks.