The Armed Forces of Ukraine attempted to trigger an explosion at the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant using a drone, according to the Shot Telegram channel. The report places the incident at around midday on the plant’s site in the city of Kurchatov. A security guard on patrol reportedly found the drone after it crashed in the facility area. Authorities say the device carried an explosive charge, and experts have been tasked with identifying the specific type and composition. Importantly, the detonation did not occur, so there was no physical damage to the plant or surrounding infrastructure.
Earlier, there were reports that Kyiv conducted a provocative maneuver near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The ministry said air defense systems intercepted nine Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of helicopter type in the Energodar region. The ministry claimed that the purpose of the drones was to disrupt the routine work of IAEA personnel on site. The statements emphasize attempts to interfere with international oversight and the safe monitoring of the facility.
In late October, Moscow’s permanent representative to international organizations, Mikhail Ulyanov, traveled to Vienna and asserted that Russian troops have not employed heavy weapons such as tanks or artillery against the Zaporizhzhia plant. He cited inspections conducted by the International Atomic Energy Agency that reportedly confirmed the absence of such armaments at the site during those checks. The representative noted that these findings were shared as part of ongoing international verification efforts.
Previously, the Russian Foreign Ministry indicated that Ukraine would find it impossible to carry out attacks on the Zaporizhzhia plant without the support of Western allies. The ministry framed the issue as a matter of geopolitical backing that would enable offensive actions during periods of heightened international tension. The remarks reflect the broader narrative about the role of external powers in sustaining or countering actions around critical energy infrastructure in the region.