Russian authorities have stepped up security at a nuclear power plant in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops invaded and occupied several villages on Tuesday. According to Reuters, the Russian Ministry of Health reported that 31 civilians, including six children, were injured in the area. Governor Alexey Smirnov had previously reported five people dead as a result of the fighting. Moscow did not report military losses.
Smirnov declared a state of emergency in the entire region on Wednesday. Local officials said it means, among other things restricting access to some locations. “The Kursk region continues to face a difficult operational situation in the border regions,” noted Smirnov.
In addition to the three villages, according to Russian bloggers, the Ukrainians also took control of the measuring station in the city of Suja, through which Russian natural gas flows to Europe.
The nuclear power plant, around which security measures have been strengthened, has four reactors and an output of almost two gigawatts. It is located about 60 kilometers from the Ukrainian borderreports the DPA agency.
According to the Russian Ministry of Health, 31 people were injured in the area, of which at least 19 were hospitalized. Among the wounded is the well-known war reporter of the All-Russian State Television and Radio Company (VGTRK) Yevgeny Poddubny. Russian media reported that he suffered severe burns as a result of the drone attack.
Contradictory reactions of the Kremlin
The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote in its latest report that the Kremlin’s responses to Ukraine’s offensive actions in the Kursk region are contradictory. According to analysts, Russian officials trying to discredit Ukraine internationally for carrying out an attack on Russian territory while avoiding domestic panic over the scale and consequences of the Ukrainian operation. However, by dismissing the significance of the attack and presenting it only as a provocation, the Kremlin is taking a risk, ISW concludes.
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