Rafael Grossi, IAEA chief, called for “maximum restraint” to prevent a disaster at a nearby nuclear plant. Russia said fragments, possibly from downed missiles, were found at the site. DW has the latest.
One killed in Ukrainian drone attack on Lipetsk
A Ukrainian drone attack in the Russian city of Lipetsk killed one civilian, the regional government said on Saturday.
Lipetsk is located 300 kilometers (around 185 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
Governor Igor Artamonov said Russian air defense intercepted 19 Ukrainian drones overnight, in a post on the Telegram messaging app.
The Russian Defense Ministry also reported the interception of 32 drones: 26 in the Kursk region and six in Yaroslavl.
Yaroslavl Governor Mikhail Yevrayev no damage or casualties were reported from the attack.
Russia enforces anti-terrorism measures in Kursk, nearby regions
Russia imposed anti-terrorism measures in the Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod regions, Moscow’s anti-terrorism committee said late on Friday, according to Russian news agencies.
The move, according to the National Anti-Terrorism Committee, is aimed at countering Ukraine’s “unprecedented attempt to destabilize the situation in a number of regions.”
Alexander Bortnikov, head of the FSB intelligence service took the decision “in order to ensure the safety of citizens and suppress the threat of terrorist acts being carried out by the enemy’s sabotage groups,” the committee said.
Measures included potentially moving residents, transport restrictions, enhanced security, and wiretapping.
Meanwhile, Russia was reinforcing its southern Kursk region with additional tanks, artillery, and rocket systems as it faced a surprising Ukrainian incursion.
IAEA urges restrain as conflict nears Kursk nuclear plant
IAEA, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, called for restraint from Ukraine and Russia on Friday as fighting intensified in Russia’s Kursk region, home to one of the country’s largest nuclear power stations.
Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said “maximum restraint” was needed to prevent a nuclear disaster amid the ongoing conflict near the Kursk nuclear plant.
“I would like to appeal to all sides to exercise maximum restraint in order to avoid a nuclear accident with the potential for serious radiological consequences,” Grossi said in a statement released by the IAEA.
“I am personally in contact with the relevant authorities of both countries and will continue to be seized of the matter.”
According to Russian media, Moscow’s diplomatic mission in Vienna informed the IAEA that fragments, possibly from downed missiles, were found at the plant, though there was no evidence of a direct attack.
Meanwhile, the state nuclear energy company Rosatom said the Kursk nuclear plant was operating normally on Saturday.
There have been reports of fierce fighting, deaths and casualties in the Russian territory of Kursk.
Ukrainian troops had advanced as far as 35 kilometers (21 miles) into the region, according to the US-based Institute for the Study of War, although, they reportedly do not have full control of the area.
Credit: DW news
