At a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on Thursday, the UK delegation condemned Russia’s veiled threats of a possible attack on Ukrainian nuclear power plants, which could lead to massive power cuts in Ukraine. The British delegation stressed that such actions are completely unacceptable.
‘We have also heard Russia threaten Ukraine in this room that it could turn off 75% of the remaining electricity (in Ukraine – ed.) by hitting just five targets. This could only apply to Ukrainian nuclear power plants. Such threats are unacceptable. So is the risk of unreliable energy supply to Ukrainian nuclear power plants due to Russia’s constant attacks on the Ukrainian energy system,’ the statement said.
The British delegation also drew attention to the intensification of Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, between March and August this year, Russia attacked 36 generation facilities and at least 101 electricity transmission and distribution facilities, focusing recently on regional distribution substations instead of high-voltage ones.
‘The Ukrainian people have consistently responded to Russia’s unprovoked aggression with courage and ingenuity. We have no doubt that they will do so again this winter, although this time they will not be alone. TheUK has committed almost £370 million since 2022 to help Ukraine respond to attacks on its energy infrastructure and support recovery, and we are working closely with the Ukrainian authorities on physical protection, repairs and decentralised generation,’ the British mission said.
