Russia’s Federal Security Service said on Tuesday that a series of explosions earlier this month at high-voltage power lines used by the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant were carried out by Ukrainian saboteurs.
The plant is located in Kursk Region, which borders eastern Ukraine. The blasts, which occurred on August 4, 9, and 12, “led to a disruption of the technological process of the nuclear power plant’s functioning,” the FSB said. Six transmission towers were targeted overall. These towers transmit power from the plant to crucial infrastructure, such as industrial sites and transportation systems.
The FSB added that a terrorism investigation has been launched and that a search for the culprits is underway. Security at nuclear sites in Russia has been boosted.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Ukrainian agents blew up a military storage facility near the town of Dzhankoy in Crimea. It added that power lines, a railway, and several homes were also damaged.
International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi voiced concern last week over the “very alarming” situation around the Zaporozhye nuclear plant in southern Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine have been accusing each other of shelling the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, warning that combat in the area could trigger a nuclear disaster. The plant continues to operate with Ukrainian personnel under Russian control.