Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities have damaged critical substations for nuclear power plants

According to Information Resistance, Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure pose significant risks to nuclear power plants. The latest massive attack resulted in damage to four such substations and power transmission lines.

This was stated by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.

Particular concern surrounds the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, where issues with the connection to the power supply system were recorded twice in October. Following the attack on November 17, damage was also reported at an infrastructure facility located 17 kilometers from the plant.

“All six reactors remain in cold shutdown mode, and the Agency continues to emphasize that no reactor will be restarted as long as the nuclear safety and security situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP remains under threat,” Grossi said.

There is also concern about nuclear safety at the three operational nuclear power plants – Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, and South Ukraine. These facilities require reliable and stable connections to the national grid to both transmit the electricity they generate and receive external power essential for critical nuclear safety functions.

Russian attacks on energy facilities disrupt this balance, which is unacceptable. “The increasing instability of the power grid is a source of growing concern for nuclear safety, affecting all nuclear power plants,” Grossi noted.