Ukraine has disputed Vladimir Putin’s claims that they targeted a nuclear power plant in the Kursk region in an overnight attack.

“The enemy tried to strike at the nuclear power plant during the night,” Putin claimed in a meeting with top officials.

He added: “The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been informed.”

The Russian president put forward no evidence during the meeting to support his claims, as he discussed the situation in Russia’s border regions.

A Ukrainian official called Mr Putin’s claims “propaganda” and “a pure lie”.

Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s counter-disinformation department, said: “Russia’s desired scenario of Ukraine’s Defense Forces attacking the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant to accuse them of nuclear terrorism fell apart, so Putin joined the propaganda.

“Everything points to the fact that Russia itself can carry out this provocation and will try to bring it to the international level.”

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi has said previously he would visit the Kursk plant due to safety risks linked to the war.

The Kursk plant is one of Russia’s top nuclear stations and supplies around half the electricity used in the Black Earth region of southern Russia.

Authorities in Kursk erecting concrete shelters (see our 10.11 post) are also going to put them up in Kurchatov, where the Kursk nuclear power plant is located, the region’s acting governor Alexei Smirnov said.

In the call, Mr Putin also said he had ordered the creation of self-defence units in Russian border regions.

This came after the lightning 6 August incursion into Kursk took Russia by surprise and highlighted perceived frailty Moscow has in protecting its own border.

The governor of Bryansk said authorities in the region had conducted training as well for emergency evacuation from border areas in case it was needed.