The director of the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, warned on August 26 that a recent drone strike by the Ukrainian military at a nuclear plant in the Russian city of Kursk could have caused a nuclear disaster. During a press conference, Grossi told Russian reporters that the country is facing a high chance of a nuclear accident if both parties refuse to reduce hostilities and stop conducting military operations near the nuclear plant. He added that it was clear that Ukraine almost caused an accident, and that he and his investigators found the rest of numerous Ukrainian military drones on the field.
The Kremlin gave permission to Grossi and his agency to enter Kursk and go to the scene after Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised speech that the nuclear site came under fire after the Ukrainian attacks. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government has denied any involvement in the incident and claimed that it was probably a false flag operation perpetrated by the Russian military. In a statement, the Ukrainian Armed Forces said that while it currently has a presence in Kursk, it never targeted the nuclear plant.
Some Western politicians and political commentators criticized the UN and Grossi, as they claimed that what he was doing was “playing Putin’s propaganda game.” One of these was Fernand Villanueva, who said that “everyone knows” that those who are given permission to go to Russia to investigate anything related to the war will only say what “the Kremlin wants them to.” He added it was a “shame” that the UN not only fails to do “anything relevant” against Russia but also serves as a “propaganda tool.”
In the press conference in Kursk, Grossi explained that he received numerous reports about the drones’ impact on the nuclear plant. He added that Russian officials collaborated with his mission, as they took them to the scene and showed not only the “signs of impacts” on some of the installations but also the drones’ remnants. The nuclear watchdog director added that some measures need to be taken to prevent a nuclear disaster, as the plant’s nuclear reactor doesn’t have the proper protective dome, unlike the majority of nuclear facilities around the world. Grossi detailed that was a significant issue as the reactor’s core is vulnerable not only to any drone strike but also to artillery.
Over the last few weeks, the war between Russia and Ukraine has escalated to unexpected scenarios, as the Ukrainian Armed Forces entered into Russian territory and have already taken some towns and villages. The bold move happened at a moment when most analysts predicted that the Russian military was close to winning the war, after taking many important regions in Ukraine. Some Journalists said that Belarus could also get involved in the war as its regime already sent troops to the country’s border with Ukraine.
