Russian strikes damaged substations important for the safety of Ukrainian nuclear power plants: IAEA
A massive Russian attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on October 30 damaged substations that are critical to the country’s nuclear safety and security, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a statement.
During the attacks, Agency teams working at the Yuzhnoukrainska and Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plants recorded that each of these plants lost access to one of its external power lines. The attack forced IAEA experts at the Khmelnytskyi NPP to take shelter in their hotel for several hours. IAEA representatives at the Rivne NPP also reported that the plant had reduced the capacity of two of its four power units at the request of the grid operator.
“Threats to nuclear safety remain very real and constant. I once again call for maximum military restraint in areas near nuclear facilities and for respect for the seven fundamental principles of nuclear safety and security”, said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.
On October 31, during a meeting with Rafael Grossi on the sidelines of the G7 Energy Ministers Summit in Toronto, the head of the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, Svitlana Hrynchuk, thanked the IAEA “for its prompt response” and readiness to send an expert mission to facilities that have been targeted by the Russian Federation in recent days and are important for nuclear safety.
“The presence of IAEA experts at facilities that play a key role in ensuring nuclear and radiation safety is extremely important right now, when the enemy has intensified shelling of energy facilities”, — the minister emphasized.
Let us recall that on the night of October 30, Russia carried out another massive missile and drone attack on Ukraine, targeting energy facilities in four regions. According to the Air Force, Russian troops launched 653 drones of various types and 52 air-, ground- and sea-based missiles over Ukraine. Ukrainian air defenses destroyed 592 drones and 31 missiles.
The attack resulted in direct hits of 16 missiles and 63 strike UAVs in 20 locations, as well as debris from downed targets falling in 19 locations in different regions of the country.
