President Vladimir Putin on Thursday accused the Ukrainian military of trying to strike a major nuclear power plant in southwestern Russia’s embroiled Kursk region.
“Today, the enemy tried to attack a nuclear power station,” Putin said during a government meeting, referring to the Kursk plant.
“The International Atomic Energy Agency has been informed. They’ve promised to send specialists to assess the situation,” he said. “I hope they will follow through.”
Acting Kursk region Governor Aleksei Smirnov assured Putin that the situation at the plant was “stable and under control,” adding that First Deputy Chief of Staff Sergei Kiriyenko and employees of Russia’s atomic agency visited the facility on Thursday.
Earlier, a spokesperson for the UN nuclear agency said its head, Rafael Grossi, would visit the Kursk plant next week, more than two weeks after Ukraine launched a surprise counteroffensive in the region.
Grossi previously said he was “personally in contact with the relevant authorities of both countries” and would “continue to update the international community as appropriate.”
According to the IAEA, the Kursk nuclear plant has six units: two shut down, two fully operational, and two under construction.
AFP contributed reporting.
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