Additionally, a source told the journalists that the administration of the facility advised employees to take unpaid leave and evacuate their children from the nearby town of Kurchatov (population40,000). On Aug. 7, 10,000 construction workers left the NPP.
Russian propagandist Alex Parker also reported that the Kursk NPP is being prepared for defense.
According to him, "small mobile groups of the Ukrainian Armed Forces" were allegedly spotted in Shagarovo (39 kilometers from the power plant).
Important Stories reported fighting in Kromskie Byki, 30 kilometers from the facility.
“A few dozen kilometers from our city's borders, combat operations are taking place; the situation is tense, and a state of emergency is in effect,” Kurchatov Mayor Igor Korpunkov said on Aug. 9.
He stated that all city services are operating normally, but the situation creates "psychological tension" in the region.
Earlier, a Kursk NPP employee told Important Stories that management did not provide any instructions to the staff on actions to take in case of an attack on the plant. Employees are reportedly "working in bunkers with thick walls."
The Kursk NPP is one of the three largest nuclear power plants in Russia, consisting of four reactor units.