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 in western Russia due to the conflict nearby.
Grossi visited 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 the main facilities of the nuclear power station, 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.
"My message in Kursk oblast, in Moscow, in Saint Petersburg, in Sochi, in Kyiv, in Buenos Aires, in New York is the same: No nuclear accident. This cannot happen, and that's why the IAEA will always be there," said Grossi.
The plant's operator has also warned that the repercussions of such an event could be catastrophic.
"The attack on the Kursk nuclear station might be an attack on all of the nuclear energy industry of the entire planet and could bring irreparable damage to the development of the nuclear power stations across the world. The results of specific attacks were presented, and there is no ambiguity about who carried out these strikes and where those came from," said Aleksey Likhachev, CEO of Rosatom， Russia's state nuclear power conglomerate.
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 U.N. nuclear watchdog has already established a framework for cooperation with 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.
IAEA chief warns of risk of nuclear incident in Russia's Kursk region
IAEA chief warns of risk of nuclear incident in Russia's Kursk region
IAEA chief warns of risk of nuclear incident in Russia's Kursk region
IAEA chief warns of risk of nuclear incident in Russia's Kursk region
