International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said on Tuesday after inspecting the Kursk nuclear power plant in Russia that there is a risk of a nuclear accident and the situation is serious, Reuters reports, UNN writes.
"The danger or the possibility of a nuclear accident has arisen not far from here," Grossi told reporters, referring to the ongoing fighting in the vicinity of the Kursk region.
Russia claims that the nuclear power plant has been repeatedly allegedly attacked by Ukrainian troops, which are only 40 kilometers away.
Grossi said that the station is "very vulnerable" because it does not have a protective dome.
According to him, the NPP is currently operating in close to normal conditions, but this means that the safety situation is even more serious.
Russia's state nuclear company Rosenergoatom said that Grossi was able to see that the plant's number three reactor was operating at its planned capacity, and that the fourth reactor had been undergoing scheduled maintenance since Sunday. He was also shown a new reactor unit under construction, Reuters reports.
Earlier it was reported that Raphael Grossi started an inspection of the Kursk nuclear power plant in Russia.
The day before, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi announced that he would personally lead a mission to the Kursk NPP on August 27. He wanted to see the situation with his own eyes and discuss the conditions for further actions that may be needed to assess the nuclear safety and security of the Kursk NPP, amid "an increase in military activity in the vicinity of the nuclear power plant.