MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday accused Ukraine of trying to attack the Kursk nuclear power station, around 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the fighting in the Russian border region.

The Kremlin leader did not present any evidence for his claims or provide further details on the alleged attack.

“The enemy tried to strike the nuclear power plant at night, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been informed,” Putin said in a televised government meeting.

‘No impact reported’ from Ukraine nuclear plant fire: UN agency

There were no previous reports of an attempted strike on the facility in Russian media, which has been in focus since Ukraine launched a major cross-border offensive into the Kursk region on August 6.

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi is planning to visit the Kursk nuclear plant next week, an agency spokesperson told AFP earlier on Thursday.

Kyiv and Moscow have traded accusations of threatening nuclear safety throughout the 2.5-year conflict.

Russian troops seized the abandoned Chernobyl power plant in northern Ukraine and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant – Europe’s largest – in the first days of its full-scale military offensive.

It still controls the Zaporizhzhia site, and has been accused of “nuclear blackmail” by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Moscow, in turn, claims Ukrainian forces have tried to strike the plant on multiple occasions in drone attacks.

After Ukraine launched its armed incursion into the Kursk region, the IAEA urged both Russia and Ukraine to exercise “maximum restraint” to “avoid a nuclear accident with the potential for serious radiological consequences”.