A suspected drone attack was carried out in Kurchatov, a home to a nuclear plant, reports say
The office of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant in Kurchatov, Russia, 2008. © Sergey Pyatakov / Sputnik
A loud explosion was heard over the skies of Russia’s city of Kurchatov, an industrial hub adjacent to the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, multiple Telegram channels reported in the early hours on Friday. They said locals found what looked like drone parts on the ground.
According to the channel SHOT, windows were shattered in several houses. It added that air defenses have been activated.
Photos posted on Telegram show what appears to be drone parts found in the city.
The Kursk Region shares a border with Ukraine. The power plant is located roughly 4 kilometers (2.4 miles) outside urban areas. The company Energotex, which makes equipment for nuclear reactors, is also based in Kurchatov.
A “powerful explosion” was also reported in Voronezh, the capital of the eponymous region to the east of Kursk.
Russian border regions of Kursk, Bryansk and Belgorod have been frequently shelled by artillery and attacked by drones since Moscow launched its military operation in Ukraine. Russian officials have accused Kiev of plotting sabotage on the country’s major infrastructure sites, including nuclear power plants.
