On the evening of August 9, 2024, a telephone conversation took place between Alexei Likhachev, General Director of the ROSATOM, and Rafael Grossi, IAEA Director General. The conversation was organized at the initiative of the Russian side.
The key topic of the consultations was the situation with the Kursk NPP. During the conversation Alexei Likhachev emphasized that the activities of the Ukrainian armed forces pose a direct threat not only to the Kursk NPP, but also to the development of the entire world nuclear energy industry.
In recent days the situation has become significantly more complicated. Thus, on Thursday, August 8, fragments of downed missiles were discovered on the territory of the nuclear power plant, particularly in the area of the radioactive waste processing complex. The actions of the Kiev regime on the evening of August 9 disabled the transformer substation, which left the town of Kurchatov, the nearest town to the Kursk NPP, without electricity.
At the moment, there is a real danger of attacks and provocations from the Ukrainian Armed Forces at the NPP. The current situation not only negatively affects the normal operation of the Kursk NPP, but also directly compromises the postulates of nuclear safety and security, formulated by the IAEA Director General in 2022, and thereby undermines confidence in the nuclear energy industry as a whole.
In a subsequent statement, Rafael Grossi emphasized the importance of respecting the principles of nuclear safety and, in particular, ensuring the physical integrity of the nuclear power plant. The IAEA Director General will continue to monitor the situation at the Kursk NPP and inform the world community about further activities.
In the current difficult conditions, the Kursk NPP continues to operate normally. The 3rd and 4th power units are in operation. They operate at the capacity established by the dispatch schedule (3rd unit – 945 MW, 4th unit – 950 MW). The 1st and 2nd power units are in operating mode without generation. Background radiation at the site and in the city is within natural values.