The independent news site “Important Stories,” citing employees from the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, says that the facility has been put at risk by negligence and hubris. As the Ukrainian Armed Forces move further into the Kursk region and are now less than 70 kilometers (45 miles) from the plant, Moscow is apparently moving Pantsir self-propelled, medium-range surface-to-air defense systems into the area.
According to an anonymous source from within the plant nearly all the male security staff have been mobilized following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine thus the site is currently guarded by women. Until the last two days the NPP management have largely ignored any threat even though the nearby city of Kurchatov has already been attacked by UAVs.
According to one of the NPP employees they asked management about the threats from missiles in June and why there were no shelters. The answer was if there was an attack they should take cover. The source said “… they are not considering this issue at all. They say that we are protected by our troops and that drone attacks are unrealistic. We work practically in a bunker, we have meter-high walls, and in two or two years of war not a single missile has hit here.”
It is not just the guard force that has been reduced. Staff layoffs have been happening since 2021and two of the operating units have been halted even though, according to the employee there is still plenty of fuel, even though Russian media puts the closure down exhaustion. The source suggested “… [the company] is running out of money. Since August, salaries have been reduced by 20 percent and there is talk it won’t stop there,” before adding, “They [Ukrainians] have the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, where money pours in buckets, although it produces nothing.”
Ukraine Shifts Focus to Security Guarantees Over Territory as Trump Pushes for Peace Talks
According to several pro-Russian milbloggers residents have begun to be evacuated from Kursk’s border areas and Ukraine forces occupied 11 settlements and advanced up to 25 kilometers (15 miles) into Russian territory on a 10 kilometer (6 mile) wide front.
According to those social media sites both sides Russian forces have lost at least two T-62M tanks, and one Ka-52 helicopter, while Ukraine has lost several armored vehicles and a Buk-M1 air defense system. There are reports on Ukrainian social media that as many as 40 Russian conscripts, have been captured.
The head of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov told President Putin at a meeting on Wednesday afternoon that was also attended by Defense Minister Belousov, FSB Director Bortnikov and Security Council Secretary Shoigu.
According to Gerasimov, although “the border was broken through” Ukraine’s advance had been stopped and the “enemy was defeated” losing more than 100 of its troops, 54 armored vehicles and seven tanks. This, even though social media from both sides is still reporting Kyiv’s forces are still moving forward.
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