WASHINGTON: IAEA, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, called for “maximum restraint” from both Russia and Ukraine as fighting intensified in Russia’s Kursk region, home to one of the country’s largest nuclear power stations.
Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has expressed concerns over the heightened risk of a nuclear incident if fighting continues around the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant (NPP).
On Friday, Russia announced the deployment of additional troops and weaponry to Kursk, following a rare ground assault by Ukrainian forces on Russian soil.
“I would like to appeal to all sides to exercise maximum restraint in order to avoid a nuclear accident with the potential for serious radiological consequences,” Grossi said in a statement released by the IAEA. “I am personally in contact with the relevant authorities of both countries and will continue to be seized of the matter.”
The IAEA has been closely monitoring military activities near the Kursk NPP and Grossi has been in direct contact with officials from both nations.
The Kursk NPP features six reactors, with two currently operational, two under construction, and two shut down. Grossi emphasized the importance of maintaining safety around these facilities.
In addition, Grossi raised alarms on Thursday about fires near the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine. He highlighted concerns over the plant’s off-site power supply, noting that any threat to its remaining power lines poses a significant risk to nuclear safety and security.
“While all reactors at ZNPP are in a cold shutdown state, the vulnerability of the off-site power supply remains a serious concern,” Grossi added, urging immediate action to safeguard these critical power lines.
