(MENAFN) The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has acknowledged being “aware” of information regarding a blaze at the Kursk nuclear power plant (NPP) in Russia.

According to the agency, the incident appears to have stemmed from “military activity.”

The nuclear plant is located roughly 50 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, a region that has witnessed intensified conflict in recent months.

Earlier, Russian authorities reported that the facility had been struck during a drone operation.

According to these officials, air defense systems intercepted what they identified as a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

The drone exploded upon impact near the plant, damaging an auxiliary transformer and igniting a fire, which responders were eventually able to extinguish.

The official Telegram channel of the plant issued a message stating, “Radiation levels at the site and in surrounding areas remained unchanged.”

While the incident did not result in any injuries, operational capacity was temporarily affected.

Authorities confirmed that output from one of the plant’s three active reactors had to be reduced by half.

In a statement published on X this past Sunday, the IAEA refrained from attributing direct responsibility for the incident.

It noted only that it “is aware of media reports that a transformer at the Kursk NPP in Russia has caught fire due to military activity.”

Although the agency emphasized that it lacked independent verification of the event, Director General Rafael Grossi reiterated that “every nuclear facility must be protected at all times.”

The Kursk nuclear plant has become increasingly vulnerable amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

The situation worsened significantly after Ukrainian forces launched a large-scale incursion into the region in August 2024.

By April, Russian representatives had announced that Ukrainian troops had been driven out of the Kursk Region following an extended counteroffensive.

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