IAEA Warns of ‘Very High’ Radiation Risk at Kursk Nuclear Plant

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi issued an urgent warning on Tuesday regarding the "very high" risk of a radioactivity release at Russia’s Kursk Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). Speaking after a site visit, Grossi stated that the facility’s lack of a protective containment dome makes it uniquely vulnerable to military strikes or accidental damage. Vulnerability of RBMK Reactors The Kursk facility utilizes RBMK-type reactors, the same design used at the Chernobyl plant. Grossi highlighted that these reactors operate without the thick steel and concrete containment shells common in modern nuclear facilities. "The core of the reactor is protected by a normal roof, which makes it extremely exposed to artillery or drone strikes," Grossi told reporters during his inspection. The IAEA chief’s visit follows reports of drone fragments found within the plant’s perimeter, located roughly 40 kilometers from the frontlines of the ongoing conflict between Russian and Ukrainian forces. Grossi emphasized that any direct impact on the reactor core would result in a radiological emergency without any physical barrier to prevent the spread of contamination. Global…