Ukrainian forces in Kursk pose 'direct threat' to nearby power plant, Rosatom tells energy agency

MOSCOW

Ukrainian armed forces in Russia's western region of Kursk pose a "direct threat" to a nearby nuclear facility, the head of Rosatom told the UN's nuclear watchdog, according to a media report on Saturday.

"The actions of the armed forces of Ukraine pose a direct threat not only to the Kursk NPP (nuclear power plant), but also to the development of the entire global nuclear energy industry," Alexey Likhachev said in a telephone call with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi, Russian daily Kommersant reported.

In the call that took place late Friday, the CEO of Russia's state-owned nuclear energy company discussed Ukraine's attempts to capture the plant, according to the daily, which cited Rosatom's press service.

Highlighting the increasingly complex situation on the ground near the power plant, Rosatom said debris from downed missiles was found Thursday near the facility, including in the vicinity of its radioactive waste processing complex.

On Friday evening, a transformer substation was put out of operation, which left the city of Kurchatov, the closest to the station, without power, it added.

"At the moment, there is a real danger of strikes and provocations by the armed forces of Ukraine at the nuclear power plant.

"The current situation not only negatively affects the normal operation of the Kursk NPP, but also directly compromises the postulates of nuclear safety and security formulated by the head of the IAEA in 2022, and thereby undermines confidence in the nuclear energy industry as a whole," it said.

On Friday, Grossi urged "all sides to exercise maximum restraint in order to avoid a nuclear accident with the potential for serious radiological consequences."