Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of trying to attack the nuclear power plant in Kursk, about 50 km from the site of the fighting in the Russian border region, AFP reported.
The Kremlin leader did not provide any evidence for his claims, nor did he provide further details about the alleged attack.
"The enemy tried to strike the nuclear power plant at night, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been informed," Putin said.
There have been no previous reports in Russian media of an attempted strike on the facility, which has been the focus of attention since Ukraine launched a large-scale cross-border offensive in Kursk Oblast on August 6.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi plans to visit the Kursk nuclear plant next week, an agency spokesman said.
Kiev and Moscow have traded accusations of jeopardizing nuclear safety during the 2.5-year conflict.
In the first days of their full-scale military offensive, Russian troops seized the abandoned Chernobyl power plant in northern Ukraine and the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe.
It still controls the Zaporizhzhia site and has been accused of "nuclear blackmail" by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Moscow, in turn, claims that Ukrainian forces have repeatedly tried to hit the plant in drone strikes.
After Ukraine began its armed incursion into the Kursk region, the IAEA urged both Russia and Ukraine to exercise "maximum restraint to avoid a nuclear accident with the potential for serious radiological consequences." | BGNES
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