MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday accused Ukraine of attempting to attack the Kursk nuclear power plant, located approximately 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the ongoing Ukrainian forces’ incursion in the Russian border region.
Putin made the allegation during a televised government meeting, though he did not provide evidence or further details to substantiate the claim.
“The enemy tried to strike the nuclear power plant at night,” Putin stated. “The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been informed about this incident.”
The Kursk nuclear facility has not previously been reported as a target in Russian media, and the claim comes amid heightened tensions following Ukraine’s significant cross-border offensive into the Kursk region, which began on August 6.
The IAEA, an international body responsible for nuclear safety, confirmed earlier on Thursday that its chief, Rafael Grossi, is scheduled to visit the Kursk nuclear plant next week. An agency spokesperson said that the visit would involve a review of safety measures and the current status of the facility.
Throughout the two-and-a-half-year conflict, both Kyiv and Moscow have exchanged accusations regarding threats to nuclear safety. In the early days of Russia’s full-scale military offensive, Russian troops took control of several Ukrainian nuclear sites, including the abandoned Chernobyl power plant and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is the largest in Europe.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Moscow of “nuclear blackmail,” alleging that the plant is being used as leverage in the conflict. Moscow, in turn, has claimed that Ukrainian forces have attempted to strike the Zaporizhzhia facility on multiple occasions using drones.
After Ukraine launched its armed offensive into the Kursk region, the IAEA urged both Russia and Ukraine to exercise “maximum restraint” to “avoid a nuclear accident with the potential for serious radiological consequences”.
Earlier today, the Russian Defense Ministry said that its forces have captured the village of Mezhove in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.
According to Moscow, Mezhove is strategically located between the town of Avdiivka, which was captured in February, and Pokrovsk, a crucial logistics hub that Russian forces are advancing toward. The capture of Mezhove follows a pattern of incremental territorial advances reported by Russia over recent weeks.
The Russian offensive in the Donetsk region continues despite ongoing Ukrainian counter-attacks in Russia’s Kursk border region. The conflict has resulted in a strained situation for Ukraine, which has faced significant manpower and ammunition shortages throughout 2024. The industrial eastern region has seen heavy fighting and a prolonged stalemate in recent months.
Ukrainian authorities have begun evacuating civilians from Pokrovsk and nearby areas, which are about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the frontline. Officials estimate that around 50,000 residents remain in these areas.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is actively involved in coordinating the defence efforts, visited the Sumy region on Thursday. This area, located just across the border from Russia’s Kursk region, has become a focal point of a Ukrainian offensive.
On August 6, Ukrainian forces launched a large-scale assault into Russian territory, capturing several settlements and surprising the Kremlin. Zelensky reported that Ukrainian troops had seized another settlement and captured additional prisoners of war, which could be used for future exchanges.
The Ukrainian offensive aims to create a “buffer zone” within Russian territory, seek a resolution to the war on “fair” terms, and stretch Russian forces across multiple fronts. However, the Ukrainian military continues to face challenges in the eastern Donbas region, where Russian forces have been making steady progress.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces reportedly targeted the Marinovka airfield in Russia’s Volgograd region. A source from Ukraine’s Security Services said that the operation was intended to diminish Russia’s aerial superiority and limit their aircraft capabilities. The regional governor of Volgograd, Andrei Bocharov, confirmed that a drone downed by air defences caused a fire at a defence ministry facility.
Russia has condemned the Ukrainian offensive in Kursk, which has resulted in civilian casualties. According to the TASS state news agency, at least 31 civilians have been killed and 143 injured as a result of the conflict in the region.
