Ukraine tried to strike Kursk nuclear plant

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday accused Ukraine of trying to strike Russia's Kursk nuclear power plant in an overnight attack and said Moscow had informed the UN nuclear safety watchdog about the situation.

Acting Kursk Governor Alexei Smirnov told Putin that the situation at the Kursk plant, which has four Soviet graphite-moderated RBMK-1000 reactors, was stable.

"The enemy tried to strike at the nuclear power plant during the night today," Putin told a meeting on the situation in Russian border regions.

"The International Atomic Energy Agency has been informed, they promise to come themselves and send specialists to assess the situation," Putin said. He did not provide further details about the incident.

There was no comment from Ukraine and Reuters was unable to independently confirm the attack.

Ukraine's lightning August 6 incursion into Kursk, the biggest into Russia by a foreign power since World War II, saw thousands of Ukrainian troops punch through Russia's western border, apparently catching Moscow by surprise.

Smirnov told Putin that 133,190 people had left or been evacuated from his region.

Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz told Putin that border forces had repelled an attempt by a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance team from entering the region, which lies northwest of Kursk.

Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), on August 9 appealed for maximum restraint to avoid a nuclear accident at the Kursk plant.

Two of the RBMK-1000 reactors are in shutdown and two are fully operational.