ALBAWABA - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced that Rafael Grossi, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog, will be visiting Russia's Kursk nuclear power plant next week.
Weeks after Ukraine launched a surprise counteroffensive in the region, the nuclear watchdog confirmed the visit. "We can confirm (it's planned for) next week," an IAEA spokesperson said, without giving further details".
On August 9, the UN nuclear agency advised Russia and Ukraine to use "maximum restraint to avoid a nuclear accident with the potential for serious radiological consequences" as Ukrainian troops advanced toward the power facility.
Grossi stated that he was "personally in contact with the relevant authorities of both countries" but would "continue to update the international community as appropriate".
According to the IAEA, the power plant has six units: two that are shut down, two that are fully operating, and two that are under development.
The nuclear watchdog warned on Saturday that the safety situation at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power facility was "deteriorating" after a nearby drone strike.
The factory, which was taken by Russian forces early in the war, has been subjected to numerous strikes, with both sides accusing the other of carrying out.
