Russia claims Ukraine targeted Kursk nuclear plant with drone attack

• The incident marks the largest invasion of Russia by a foreign power since World War II.
• Ukraine has established a buffer zone in an area used by Russia to target Ukrainian positions.
• The plant, which has four reactors, began construction on two additional reactors in 2018.

On Friday, Russia accused Ukraine of attempting to attack the Kursk nuclear power station overnight, labeling it as an act of “nuclear terrorism.” This accusation comes just days before the head of the UN atomic watchdog is scheduled to visit the site.

The Ukrainian defense ministry did not immediately respond to Moscow’s allegation, which is the second such claim in two days. The Kursk nuclear plant, located in western Russia’s Kursk region, has been a focal point of intense fighting since Ukrainian forces launched a surprise incursion on August 6, countering Russian advances in eastern Ukraine.

The Russian Defense Ministry stated that its air defense units had shot down three Ukrainian drones overnight in the Kursk region and thwarted a Ukrainian attempt to carry out a “terrorist attack” against Russian facilities.

Russian state news agency TASS quoted an unnamed source who said that a drone had been shot down near a storage facility for spent nuclear fuel at the Kursk power plant. Reuters could not independently confirm the details of the alleged incident.

TASS quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova calling it an “act of nuclear terrorism” that demands an immediate response from the UN watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency. IAEA head Rafael Grossi is scheduled to visit the power station next week and has urged for maximum restraint to prevent a nuclear accident.

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of attempting to attack the facility and stated that Moscow had informed the IAEA. He did not provide details or evidence of a Ukrainian attack. Ukraine’s August 6 incursion into Kursk, involving thousands of Ukrainian troops breaching Russia’s border, marks the largest invasion of Russia by a foreign power since World War II, catching Moscow by surprise.

Kyiv has established a buffer zone in an area that Russia, which deployed tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022, has used to target Ukrainian positions. Fighting has continued around 30 km from the nuclear plant as Russian troops attempt to dislodge Ukrainian soldiers who are working to consolidate and expand their controlled territory.

The plant, which has four reactors with two currently operational, began construction on two additional reactors in 2018. On Friday, Russian state nuclear firm Rosenergoatom announced that unit number 4 would be disconnected from the grid on Sunday for “scheduled preventive maintenance” expected to last 59 days. This maintenance will include modernization and extending the service life of equipment.

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