Moscow says operating capacity of reactor at Kursk site reduced by 50% as Kyiv celebrates independence day
Moscow has accused Kyiv of launching dozens of drone attacks, including one that sparked a fire at a nuclear power plant, as Ukrainians marked 34 years since the country gained independence from the Soviet Union.
The drone attack on the Kursk nuclear power plant in western Russia, 37 miles (60km) from the border with Ukraine, caused damage to an auxiliary transformer and forced a 50% reduction in the operating capacity of a reactor, Russian authorities said. Ukraine did not immediately comment on the alleged attack.
The fire sparked by the drone, which was shot down, had been extinguished and there were no casualties or increased radiation levels, the plant said on Sunday.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, reported that radiation levels were “normal” near the Kursk plant. The IAEA has repeatedly warned of the risks of fighting near nuclear plants after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
