IAEA Reports Drone Hit Kursk Plant Cooling Tower
16 sourcesUpdated Sep 18, 2026
A drone struck the cooling tower of a reactor unit at Russia's Kursk Nuclear Power Plant early Thursday, the IAEA said. The unit was operating; its mode did not change, there was no fire, and no immediate radiological consequences were reported. On X the IAEA quoted Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi that all attacks on nuclear facilities are unacceptable as they could endanger nuclear safety and security, irrespective of where they occur, and reiterated a call for maximum military restraint to prevent the risk of a nuclear accident. The incident came amid continued strikes. Ukrainian officials said at least 19 people were injured Wednesday in Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv and surrounding areas. Ukraine's Air Force said it destroyed or suppressed 131 Russian aerial targets overnight. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a Ukrainian drone struck a Yaroslavl oil refinery; Governor Mikhail Yevrayev said the fire was extinguished. Seven people, including two children, were injured in Odesa. Contested: no contested claims found.
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“IAEA: No fire after drone hits cooling tower of Kursk plant”It's good the plant stayed online with no radiation issues, but everyone should stay far away from these sites.
This kind of strike on a nuclear cooling system could easily lead to bigger problems if it keeps happening.
