A Ukrainian drone carried out an attack on a town in western Russia, which happens to be in close proximity to one of Russia’s largest nuclear power stations. Fortunately, Russian officials have reported no damage to the nuclear plant.
Governor Roman Starovoit revealed that a Ukrainian drone had caused damage to the facade of a building in the town of Kurchatov, located just a few kilometers from the Kursk nuclear power station. Initially, Governor Starovoit had mentioned the presence of two drones but later clarified his statement.
Governor Starovoit emphasized, “There are no casualties,” while not mentioning any potential harm to the Kursk nuclear power plant itself.
The Kursk nuclear power station, a relic of the Soviet era, employs graphite-moderated reactors similar to those at the Chernobyl nuclear plant. The catastrophic explosion and fire at the Chernobyl plant in 1986, situated in Soviet Ukraine at the time, constituted the world’s worst nuclear disaster and led to the spread of radiation across Europe.
As of the latest information, three RBMK-1000 reactors at the Kursk facility are operational, with one reactor currently shut down, according to Russia’s state nuclear corporation.
It’s important to highlight that both Russia and Ukraine have previously accused each other of planning to attack the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in Ukraine. Russian forces took control of this facility, Europe’s largest nuclear complex with six reactors, shortly after the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Another drone was intercepted while approaching Moscow on Friday morning, as reported by Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. This interception briefly disrupted flights to Moscow’s Vnukovo airport. Additionally, in the western Russian region of Belgorod, another drone was successfully shot down, according to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.
