IAEA chief Grossi set to visit Kursk nuclear power plant next week

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi will visit the Kursk nuclear power plant in southwestern Russia next week, AFP reported today. Concerns about its operation have grown since Ukrainian forces entered the Kursk region two weeks ago.

„We can confirm this visit,“ an IAEA spokesperson told AFP.

The spokesperson gave no further details, saying the visit would take place next week. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday that Grossi had confirmed he was ready to visit the Kursk nuclear power plant at the end of August.

Last week, Russia’s Defence Ministry accused Ukraine of planning an attack on the plant. Kyiv denied the claim.

The Kursk nuclear power plant is located in Kurchatov, several dozen kilometres from the Russian-Ukrainian border. Two units are operational, and two are under construction to replace the oldest units, which had already been decommissioned.

Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the IAEA has warned of the risk of a nuclear accident, particularly at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Russian forces occupied it shortly after the war began, and Russia has controlled it ever since. The shut-down plant has been repeatedly targeted in attacks, with the warring parties accusing each other.