Russia tried to use IAEA Director General to show Ukraine as threat to Kursk NPP - ISW
Photo: IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi (Getty Images)
Russian officials have attempted to exploit International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi's visit to the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) to falsely depict Ukraine as a threat of a radiation incident, which, according to the Russians, would undermine Western support for Ukraine, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
On August 27, Grossi stated on X that the situation at the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) was serious and emphasized that "attacking any NPP is unacceptable, no matter the location." Grossi also noted that the KNPP is particularly vulnerable because its reactor lacks a protective shell and is situated in a regular building, making it susceptible to shelling or drone strikes. Russian government media claimed that Grossi had seen evidence of combat nearby, including drones and drone debris.
Russian propagandist media distorted Grossi's statement, falsely reporting that the IAEA chief had claimed that Ukrainian military actions were the source of the threat to the plant. This claim is inaccurate.
The IAEA acknowledged that Russia had informed the agency of drone debris found at the KNPP, but the IAEA did not provide any assessment of the drone's origin or confirm Russia's claims about Ukrainian involvement.
Earlier, ISW noted that Ukrainian forces had consistently demonstrated the capability to strike from behind Russian lines and within occupied Ukraine at distances exceeding approximately 60 kilometers between the Kursk NPP and the international border, suggesting that Ukrainian military leadership had deliberately avoided targeting the nuclear plant.
On Tuesday, August 27, Grossi visited the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant and stated, "Was at (Russian) Kursk NPP today, where the situation is serious. Preventing a nuclear accident in this terrible war is vital & attacking any NPP is unacceptable, no matter the location."
Bloomberg reported that after his visit to the KNPP, Grossi plans to travel to Kyiv to discuss with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy the Ukrainian military's operations in the Kursk region.
