Ukrainian drone targets Russian town near major nuclear plant

Governor Roman Starovoit stated that a Ukrainian drone had damaged a building's facade in the town of Kurchatov, located just a few kilometers from the Kursk nuclear power station, early on Friday. Although Starovoit initially mentioned two drones, he later clarified his statement, assuring that there were no casualties. Notably, there was no mention of any potential harm to the Kursk nuclear power plant.

It's worth noting that the Soviet-era Kursk nuclear power station employs graphite-moderated reactors similar to those at the Chernobyl nuclear plant. The catastrophic explosion and fire at Chernobyl in 1986, then situated in Soviet Ukraine, marked the world's worst nuclear disaster and resulted in the spread of radiation across Europe.

Presently, the Kursk nuclear power station operates three RBMK-1000 reactors, with one reactor shut down, as confirmed by Russia's state nuclear corporation.

In recent times, both Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of plotting to attack Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station. Russian forces captured this facility, Europe's largest nuclear complex with six reactors, shortly after the Kremlin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Additionally, another drone approaching Moscow was shot down on Friday morning, causing temporary flight disruptions at Moscow's Vnukovo airport, as reported by Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. In the western Russian region of Belgorod, another drone was intercepted, according to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.