Fears of nuclear crisis grow as Ukrainian and Russian forces battle 30km from Kursk plant

UN atomic watchdog warns of 'precarious' situation at Russian-held Zaporizhzhia plant in Ukraine

Russian troops have been forced to defend against a Ukrainian incursion in the Kursk region, near the border. EPA

Ukrainian troops in Russia are within 30km of a nuclear power plant, with the UN's atomic watchdog warning on Monday that the situation is "getting a little bit out of hand" as the conflict rages.

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi discussed the crisis at the Kursk plant, in mainland Russia, with the agency's board of governors in Vienna. He urged Ukrainian and Russian forces to show "maximum restraint" as the offensive compounds the "precarious situation" at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in south-eastern Ukraine.

"The imperative to ensure the physical integrity of a nuclear power plant is valid irrespective of where the plant is situated," Mr Grossi said.

The Kursk border region is at the centre of Ukraine's surprise summer attack on Russia, which Kyiv hopes will lead to negotiations to end the war, which began in February 2022. The nuclear plant is still under Russian control and "operating normally" but the incursion "has come closer to it, around 30km", Mr Grossi added.

Russia provided "indications" of projectiles landing at Kursk and the remains of drones found at the plant, he said, adding that the IAEA was monitoring "a situation that seemed to be getting a little bit out of hand". Ukraine denies the nuclear plant is the target of attacks.

Kursk offensive

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy briefed defence ministers in Europe that his troops control more than 1,300 square kilometres of the Kursk region. He said Moscow planned to launch a new offensive into Ukraine from the region.

Mr Zelenskyy has called for more missiles amid reports that Iran is providing short-range arms to Russia, a claim Tehran denied on Monday. The Kremlin called Iran an "important partner" but did not confirm or directly deny the reports.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said at the weekend that diplomats must "discuss how we get out of this war situation faster", increasing pressure on Ukraine to take part in peace talks. A Swiss peace conference in June, boycotted by Russia, expressed support for Ukraine’s "territorial integrity" but left no clear path forward.

"We need to force Russia to seek peace. We need to make Russian cities and even Russian soldiers think about what they need – peace or [Russian President Vladimir] Putin? And it is realistic to push them to choose peace," Mr Zelenskyy said last week.

Zaporizhzhia risk

Russian troops are still in control of the Zaporizhzhia plant, where Mr Grossi said there were regular explosions, drone attacks and gunfire. Power supply interruptions have increased the risk of an accident, he added.

He said a cooling tower may need to be demolished after a fire, with all six reactor units currently in shutdown. Inspectors also plan to increase efforts to keep three other Ukrainian nuclear plants online by monitoring electric sub-stations.

The Khmelnytsky, Rivne and South Ukraine plants continue to generate electricity but attacks have caused shutdowns and "compromised grid stability", Mr Grossi warned. The IAEA also has a permanent presence at the site of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

"Preventing a nuclear accident during this terrible war is vital, and attacking a nuclear power plant is unacceptable, regardless of where it is located," Mr Grossi told the agency's board. "I appeal for maximum restraint in order to avoid a nuclear accident with the potential for serious radiological consequences."

If a nuclear incident comes to pass, IAEA experts would be able to tell whether it was an accident or a military strike, Mr Grossi added.

The agency, which maintains contact with Moscow and Kyiv, has previously been non-committal about incidents at Zaporizhzhia. Mr Grossi said the agency did not want to point fingers by brandishing a "red card to Ukraine" or "yellow card to Russia".