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Drone hit cooling tower on Thursday at Russian Kursk nuclear plant, IAEA says

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on September 18, 2026

1 min read

· Last updated: September 18, 2026

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Drone Strike Reported at Russian Kursk Nuclear Plant, IAEA Affirms No Risk

Incident Overview and Official Responses

IAEA Statement on Drone Strike

Sept 18 (Reuters) - The International Atomic Energy Agency said on Friday it had been informed the cooling tower of a reactor unit "was hit by a drone" the previous day at western Russia's Kursk nuclear power plant.

Reactor Status Following the Incident

The UN nuclear watchdog said the reactor unit was operating at the time it was hit, but continued operating as before and no fire broke out.

Rosatom's Assessment and Public Assurance

Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear power corporation, said in a statement that the strike had caused "minor damage" at the plant's no. 1 reactor and operation was unaffected.

"The reactor is continuing to work at 100% capacity," the statement said. Radiation levels were unchanged and within norms, it said.

Reporting and Editorial Credits

(Reporting by Anna Peverieri in Barcelona; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Ron Popeski)

Key Takeaways

  • IAEA confirmed the drone hit occurred early on Thursday, September 17, at the Kursk NPP, but the reactor remained fully operational with no fire reported. (devdiscourse.com)
  • Rosatom stated the strike caused only minor damage, operations remained unaffected, the reactor kept running at 100% capacity, and radiation levels stayed within safe norms. (devdiscourse.com)
  • IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi reiterated that any attacks on nuclear facilities are unacceptable and urged maximum military restraint to prevent nuclear accidents. (agerpres.ro)

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened at the Kursk nuclear power plant?
A drone hit the cooling tower of a reactor unit at Russia's Kursk nuclear power plant, causing minor damage but no operational disruption.
Was there any impact on the reactor's operation?
The reactor unit continued to operate at 100% capacity after the drone strike with no fire or interruption.
Did radiation levels at the Kursk plant change after the incident?
Radiation levels remained unchanged and within normal limits following the drone strike.
Who reported the drone strike at the Kursk nuclear plant?
The incident was reported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and confirmed by Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear corporation.

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