“If there were any impact on the Kursk plant, the projectiles could impact directly on the reactor itself,” warns Rafael Grossi, the director of the IAEA.

“If there were any impact on the Kursk plant, there would be no protection and the projectiles could possibly impact directly on the reactor itself”alert on franceinfo, Thursday August 29, 2024, Rafael Grossi, the director of the IAEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency. He returns with his teams from a visit to the Russian nuclear power plant, which is in the immediate vicinity of the incursion of Ukrainian troops.

The IAEA conducted a mission “preventive” to see “the reality of the power plant” by herself, while Russian authorities claim she is being targeted by Ukrainians. “We saw remains of objects that could be assimilated to drones, we noted traces, impacts, munitions in the wall and the paving stones around the power station”but for the moment it is impossible to know from which camp they come, according to Rafael Grossi.

According to the IAEA, the security of the Kursk plant is not completely compromised at this time, but extreme vigilance is required. “What we have is the idea of ​​being very, very attentive and active in case we have to deploy again on the territory of the power plant.” In fact, this plant is of the MRPK type, like that of Chernobyl and therefore “without protective dome”. “This in itself is not an intrinsic danger to the technology but it is when you see that the plant is very close to a combat zone”Rafael Grossi emphasizes. He will go to the Ukrainian side, to the Zaporizhia power plant and then to kyiv next week.