The head of the UN nuclear watchdog said he will lead a team to visit the Kursk nuclear power plant in western Russia on Tuesday.
The facility is located about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from fighting that broke out nearly three weeks ago when Ukrainian forces launched a surprise invasion of Russian territory.
“Given the serious situation, I am personally leading the mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) in the Russian Federation,” Rafael Grossi said in a statement.
“The safety and security of all nuclear power plants are of critical and fundamental importance to the IAEA.”
The nuclear power plant is located on the Seym River, near the city of Kurchatov.
Last week, Russia told the IAEA that a drone had been intercepted near the plant. Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of attempting to attack the site, without providing any evidence. It is still unclear whether the nuclear plant is a target of the Ukrainian advance.
Grossi has visited the Russian-occupied Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhya several times and even stationed an IAEA team there. The permanent presence of the international experts serves not only to monitor the situation, but also to deter hostilities that could cause a nuclear accident.
