UN warns of Chernobyl-like disaster if fighting in Kursk doesn’t stop

The United Nations nuclear watchdog warned against continued fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces near a Kursk nuclear plant on Thursday, Aug. 22. The International Atomic Energy Agency fears that artillery within range of the facility could lead to a nuclear disaster.

The plea from the U.N. comes as Russia accused Ukraine on Thursday of trying to strike the facility. Russian President Vladimir Putin said he "informed" the International Atomic Energy Agency of the attempted attack but did not provide evidence to back up his claims. The acting governor of the Kursk region told Putin that the situation at the site was stable.

Scientists are particularly concerned about the Kurk plant's reactors. The facility uses the same technology once employed by the Chernobyl plant, which melted down in the worst nuclear disaster in world history in 1986.

The incident left behind radioactive waste covering around 1,000 square miles and it will take thousands of years for the waste to decay.

The Kursk Nuclear Power Plant units also lack protective domes like modern reactors to contain radiation in case of an accident.

The International Atomic Energy Agency's director said that he plans to visit the plant and then visit Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He said the nuclear facility is "a source of enormous concern."

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