UN Nuclear Chief to Visit Kursk Plant Amid Ukraine's Cross-Border Offensive

The head of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, is scheduled to visit Russia's Kursk nuclear power plant on Tuesday, August 27. This visit comes shortly after Ukraine's recent cross-border offensive into the Russian region, with Grossi aiming to "independently assess" the unfolding situation.

The IAEA has been vocal about the risks associated with military activity near nuclear facilities since the war between Russia and Ukraine escalated in February 2022. In the early days of the war, Russian forces took control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine and briefly held the decommissioned Chornobyl site in the north.

Ukraine launched a surprise operation in the Kursk region on August 6, claiming advances despite Russian forces pressing deeper into eastern Ukraine.

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of attempting to strike the Kursk nuclear plant, which lies less than 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the active frontlines.

Russian authorities informed the IAEA that drone fragments were discovered last Thursday, roughly 100 meters from the plant's spent fuel storage area. In response, Grossi announced his decision to personally visit the site.

Located about 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the Russia-Ukraine border, the Kursk nuclear plant is close to the city of Kursk, home to around 440,000 people. The plant has four reactors, though only two are currently operational, with two more under construction.

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These reactors are of the same type as those at Ukraine's Chornobyl plant, which suffered a catastrophic explosion in 1986, leading to the world’s worst nuclear disaster.

Experts note that while significant safety upgrades have been made to these reactors since Chornobyl, concerns remain. Robert Kelley, a former IAEA inspections director, pointed out that a Chernobyl-like disaster is unlikely.

However, he cautioned that an accidental strike on the plant's spent fuel storage could still release dangerous radioactive materials.

The IAEA has urged both Russia and Ukraine to exercise "maximum restraint" to avoid any incident with potentially severe radiological consequences.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Sunday that Ukrainian forces had captured two more settlements in the Kursk region, adding to dozens already taken since the offensive began.

Ukraine has stated that its goal is to prevent cross-border attacks from Russia into its Sumy region and to pressure Russia into negotiations on Kyiv's terms.