On Sunday, Ukrainian forces reportedly launched a successful drone strike on a building in the city of Kursk, associated with Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), as mentioned by the Ukrainian news source, Ukrainska Pravda. Kursk is strategically positioned about 137 miles north of Kharkiv, Ukraine.
Footage from a ferry on the Danube River, originating from Romania, reveals a sequence of drone attacks followed by explosions in southern Ukraine. The Orlivka ferry checkpoint in Ukraine suffered damage to its port infrastructure, and two drivers were reported injured.
Kursk Oblast’s regional governor, Roman Starovoit, has commented that the attack resulted in “slight damage” to the building’s roof. However, this contrasts with Ukrainian intelligence, suggesting the strike was direct and impactful.
In the governor’s statement, he clarified, “Emergency services officers were immediately dispatched to the site where a Ukrainian drone struck an administrative structure in Kursk’s Central District.”
Given its geographical closeness to the Ukrainian border, Kursk has become a focal point, especially concerning a nearby nuclear facility. As Ukraine intensifies its long-range offensives against Russian targets, strikes in this region have been more frequent.
Previously, on September 1, Starovoit shared on his official Telegram that a suspected drone from Ukraine carried out a raid in Kurchatov, a town near Kursk with a nuclear plant. “A drone did impact a non-residential structure, causing minor facade damage,” he elaborated, dispelling rumors about a second drone’s involvement.
While Kurchatov’s strike’s exact target remains ambiguous, concerns have been related to its nuclear plant. In August, Ukraine’s military warned about Russia’s potential “false flag” actions against the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant.
Based on documents from Ukraine’s Center for National Resistance, these claims alleged that Russia intended to evacuate only select Kursk residents before attacking the plant.
Sarah Ashton-Cirillo, spokesperson for the Ukraine Armed Forces, commented, “Reports suggest that Russia might be planning a deceptive assault on the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, based on documents we’ve sourced.”
However, Newsweek has not yet confirmed these claims, and no direct attacks on the Kursk nuclear facility have been observed.
