Drone strikes Russia nuclear plant cooling tower, IAEA confirms safety

Photo — K / Pexels

The International Atomic Energy Agency reported that the cooling tower of a reactor unit at the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant in Russia was struck by a drone early Thursday while the unit was online, highlighting the growing vulnerability of nuclear facilities in active conflict zones.[11][9] The IAEA said the reactor’s operating mode did not change and there was no fire, indicating that immediate safety systems and containment appear to have functioned as intended.[11] Even without a release of radiation, an acknowledged attack on an operating nuclear plant’s auxiliary infrastructure is a serious escalation, raising global concern about the precedent it sets and the potential for future incidents with far more severe consequences. The strike comes against the backdrop of Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine and reports of intensified hybrid and drone attacks across the region, feeding wider European and international anxiety over the security of critical energy assets and the robustness of international norms protecting nuclear sites in wartime.[9][13]

Sources: Times of India, NDTV