KURCHATOV, August 27. /TASS/. A nuclear power plant should not be a target of military operations under any circumstances, nor can it be used by any side for military purposes, International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi said following his visit to Russia’s Kursk nuclear power plant.
He said his visit to the plant was prompted by the proximity of hostilities and the danger of a nuclear incident.
TASS has put together key facts about the IAEA chief’s visit.
The plant’s operation
Kursk NPP operations are very close to normal, Grossi said. As he toured the plant, Grossi saw signs of drone attacks, he said. The IAEA chief said he was able to visit the plant’s key units, such as the turbine room, the equipment control room and the storage site of spent nuclear fuel.
Risk of nuclear incident
The plant should not be involved in military operations under any circumstances, nor should it be used by any side for military purposes, Grossi said. The plant’s security systems must be fully operational, he said.
Grossi said his visit to the Kursk NPP was prompted by the proximity of military operations. There is now a danger of a nuclear incident at the plant, he said
"Dirty bomb"
IAEA observers are present at all of Ukraine's nuclear sites and see no leaks of radioactive materials that could be used for making a "dirty bomb," according to Grossi.
Statements from Rosatom
The IAEA was shown the results of Ukrainian attacks on the plant, said Alexey Likhachev, the chief executive officer of Russia’s government-owned nuclear power corporation Rosatom.
"There can be no ambiguity about who carried out these strikes, and where this came from," he said.
The IAEA pledged immediate reaction to any manifestations of aggression toward the Zaporozhye and Kursk nuclear power plants, according to the executive.
Likhachev said the Rosatom will do everything to start up the first reactor of the second phase of the Kursk NPP this year.