[LAUREN TAYLOR]

THE UNITED NATIONS’ NUCLEAR WATCHDOG IS WARNING AGAINST CONTINUED FIGHTING BETWEEN UKRAINIAN AND RUSSIAN FORCES NEAR A KURSK NUCLEAR POWER PLANT.

FEARING ARTILLERY WITHIN RANGE COULD LEAD TO A CHERNOBYL-LIKE DISASTER.

THE PLEA FROM THE U-N COMES AS RUSSIA ACCUSED UKRAINE 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 BACKUP HIS CLAIMS.

THE ACTING GOVERNOR OF THE KURSK REGION TOLD PUTIN THE SITUATION AT THE SITE WAS STABLE.

SCIENTISTS ARE PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE KURSK PLANT’S REACTORS.

THE FACILITY USES THE SAME TECH EMPLOYED BY THE CHERNOBYL PLANT, WHICH MELTED DOWN IN THE WORST NUCLEAR DISASTER EVER IN 1986.

THE INCIDENT LEFT BEHIND RADIOACTIVE WASTE COVERING A THOUSAND SQUARE MILE REGION AND WILL TAKE THOUSANDS OF YEARS TO DECAY.

THE KURSK UNITS ALSO LACK PROTECTIVE DOMES LIKE MODERN REACTORS TO CONTAIN RADIATION IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT.

THE I-A-E-A DIRECTOR PLANS TO VISIT THE PLANT IN THE COMING DAYS THEN TRAVEL TO KYIV TO SPEAK WITH UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY.

HE CALLED THE NUCLEAR FACILITY IS “A SOURCE OF ENORMOUS CONCERN.”

FOR MORE ON RUSSIA’S WAR AGAINST UKRAINE– DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT SAN DOT COM.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.