Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi on Tuesday warned of a risk of a nuclear incident at the Kursk nuclear power plant due to the conflict nearby.
"There is a risk of a nuclear incident here now," Grossi said after visiting the plant in Russia's Kursk region at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin to assess the situation and work with Russian colleagues on solutions to current issues.
Following his visit to its main facilities, Grossi noted that the nuclear plant is operating under nearly normal conditions.
Grossi said he was informed about attempted drone attacks on the plant's facilities, adding that he personally saw "traces of these attacks." He noted that military activity near the nuclear plant ultimately raises security concerns.
Russia accused Ukraine on Friday of trying to attack the Kursk nuclear power station. The drone fragments were reportedly located roughly 100 meters from the plant's spent fuel nuclear storage facility.
The IAEA can propose a range of technical steps and measures aimed at ensuring nuclear safety, Grossi noted.
He said the UN nuclear watchdog has already established a framework for cooperation with Russia's state nuclear power conglomerate Rosatom, representatives of the Russian armed forces, security forces, and the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The IAEA and Russian representatives are "discussing what can be done to prevent radiation incidents at the plant," Grossi said.
Noting that under no circumstances should nuclear power plants be the target of military action, the IAEA chief warned that the consequences will be serious if external factors act on the Kursk nuclear power plant.
Also, he pointed out that the IAEA has sent staff to all nuclear power plants in Ukraine, and they have not yet found relevant materials flowed out and were used to make "dirty bombs".
Grossi also said that he will go to Kiev next week to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the situation at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant and the expansion of the IAEA's personnel and activities in the country. He said he will head back to Russia after his Ukraine visit.
IAEA chief warns of nuclear incident risk in Russia's Kursk region
