Ukraine’s Drone Strike Hits Kursk Nuclear Plant In Russia – Should Residents Be Worried About Radiation Levels?

A fire broke out at Russia’s Kursk Nuclear Power Plant after air defense systems shot down a Ukrainian drone near the facility, the plant’s press service confirmed on August 23. According to the statement, the drone was one of several reported by Russian authorities and crashed into an auxiliary transformer, igniting a fire that was later extinguished. No casualties were reported.

Drone Strike Impact and Details

“A combat unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) belonging to the Armed Forces of Ukraine was shot down by air defense systems near the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant,” the press service said in a Telegram post.

“Upon impact, the drone detonated, resulting in damage to an auxiliary transformer,” the statement added.

The plant reported that unit three had to be reduced to 50 percent capacity following the explosion.

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Have Radiation Levels At The Kursk Nuclear Power Plant Exceeded The Normal Limits?

The press office stressed that radiation levels inside the plant and in the area around the plant “have not exceeded normal limits.”

REN TV, a Russian federal network that reported the story initially, quoted the plant’s press office as stating the burned transformer was outside of the nuclear department. But it was not immediately apparent in what part of the plant the fire took place.

Ukraine has not made any comment on the incident. Kyiv has ramped up drone missions within Russian airspace in recent months, calling them precision attacks on infrastructure vital to the military campaign of Moscow.

Where is Kursk Nuclear Plant Located?

The Kursk Nuclear Power Plant is situated 40 km west of Kursk city, on the Seim River bank. It was commissioned with the first unit in 1976, then with further units in 1979, 1983, and 1985, the press service reported.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has consistently warned of the dangers of military action in the vicinity of nuclear plants since Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine Ramps Up Drone Attacks on Russia

Earlier today, authorities also reported several drone attacks on St. Petersburg and the Leningrad area. Six drones were destroyed in the Leningrad area and two over St. Petersburg, officials reported.

In St. Petersburg’s Krasnoselsky district, windows were broken in an apartment building when a drone was “neutralized.” No one was injured or killed.

The drone operation disrupted air traffic at St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport, where over 30 flights were rerouted and over 50 were delayed. Operations later resumed in the evening.

Simultaneously, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin also confirmed that a drone en route to the capital was also destroyed.

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