Russia to Restrict Entry to Kursk Nuclear Plant Town

Russian authorities will restrict entry to Kurchatov, the town where the Kursk nuclear plant is located, amid Ukraine’s ongoing incursion in the Kursk border region, the region’s acting governor said Wednesday.

“Despite the fact that the security of the Kursk nuclear power plant is maximized, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are not abandoning their attempts to penetrate the city. In this regard, as well as in order to provide additional security measures, the counter-terrorism regime’s operational headquarters has decided to limit entry to Kurchatov in the near future,” Kursk Governor Alexei Smirnov wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Only citizens who are registered as Kurchatov residents will be permitted to freely enter the town, Smirnov said. People who work in Kurchatov will need an entry permit issued by local authorities. Employees at the nuclear power plant will obtain entry permits from their employer.

City and district administration employees will be on duty at checkpoints from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m to issue entry permits.

“Transit vehicles that previously moved through the territory of Kurchatov will have to use alternative detour routes,” Smirnov said.

Ukraine launched its surprise incursion into Kursk on Aug. 6 and has said it is making advances, even as Russian forces move deeper into eastern Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin last week accused Ukraine of trying to attack the Kursk nuclear power plant, which is less than 50 kilometers (30 miles) from fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

Kyiv has denied claims that it plans to attack the plant.

Visiting the Kursk nuclear plant on Tuesday, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Rafael Grossi warned that the plant’s proximity to ongoing fighting was “extremely serious.”

“I was informed about the impact of drones, I was shown some of the remnants of those, signs of impact they had,” Grossi said Tuesday.