Kursk, danger of a nuclear accident

Brussels – The Ukrainian invasion of the Russian region of Kursk could Kurchatov Security nuclear power plant. Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)the United Nations nuclear body, is sounding the alarm. The front line is only 40 kilometers away, but the advance of Kiev's troops continues. This increases concerns about a possible incident with an unpredictable outcome.

The Ukraine offensive of August 6 has brought the war within Russia's borders and dangerously close to the plant.”The danger or possibility of a nuclear accident is clearly recognizable”, Grossi told the press on Tuesday (27 August), as the clashes between rival armies are taking place mainly in the Kursk region itself.

The Kremlin reported several Ukrainian attacks on the plantwhich, as Grossi stressed, is particularly fragile because it has no protective dome. The fact that the power plant continues to operate under “almost normal” conditions, said the IAEA Secretary, makes the situation even more delicate. The nuclear power plant in Kursk Oblast is one of the most important in the entire Federation and has been in operation since 1976. Only one of the four reactors (built between 1976 and 1985 based on the same model as the one in Chernobyl), number three, is ready for operationwhile number four has been under maintenance since Sunday (25 August). Construction of two more reactors began in 2018.

The Safety of nuclear facilities has become a central issue in the war in Ukraine, especially in the recent “hot” phase initiated by the Russian invasion in February 2022. The Ukrainian Zaporizhia Power plant The plant near Enerhodar is the largest in the country – and the entire Old Continent – and fell into Russian hands two years ago in March. Since then, Moscow and Kyiv have never stopped blaming each other for the attacks that put the plants at risk.

English version from Withub translation service