Russia's Kursk NPP working normally - authorities

KURSK. Aug 15 (Interfax) - The Kursk Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) is working normally and everything is stable on its premises, acting governor of Russia's Kursk region Alexei Smirnov said.

"I have met with Sergei Kiriyenko, first deputy chief of staff of the Russian presidential administration, in Kurchatov. The Kursk NPP is at the center of attention. Everything is stable at the facility, and all processes are normal. The Russian Defense Ministry and the Russian National Guard are doing everything they can to ensure the plant's security," Smirnov said on Telegram.

Smirnov said he had also visited the Kursk NPP 2 construction site together with Kiriyenko.

"The project is on schedule. The new reactor is due to be launched in December. That will be an important stage in the development of the nuclear energy industry," Smirnov said.

Kursk NPP 2 is a replacement plant with two 1,255MW reactor units under construction as part of the Design and Construction of Reference Units of Nuclear Power Plants federal project, part of the comprehensive "Development of Nuclear Energy Hardware, Technology and Research in the Russian Federation for the Period until 2024" program.

It is planned that the first unit of the Kursk NPP 2 plant will be launched at the end of 2024.

The National Antiterrorism Committee announced the start of a counterterrorism operation in the Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions on August 10.