The IAEA reported a reduction in electrical capacity at Ukrainian nuclear power plants. This happened after a massive Russian attack that damaged the country's energy infrastructure.
Points of attention
- The IAEA expressed outrage at Russia's massive attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, which led to a reduction in electrical capacity at nuclear power plants.
- A decrease in the stability of the power grid can have serious consequences for nuclear safety, affecting the key substations of the Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, and South Ukrainian NPPs.
- The need for a reliable external energy supply for nuclear power plants is one of the main principles of nuclear safety emphasized by the IAEA.
- The massive attack of the Russian Federation on Ukraine included the use of various missiles and UAVs, which led to significant destruction of energy facilities and human casualties.
The IAEA reacted to the mass attack of the Russian Federation on the energy system of Ukraine
As IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said, such actions pose an additional threat to nuclear safety.
The Russian strikes were aimed at key substations that ensure the stable operation of the Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, and South Ukrainian NPPs. As a result, the main lines from four substations were disconnected, which affected the stability of the power grid.
Currently, only two of the nine reactors are operating at full capacity. The other six reduced production to 40–90%.
The Director General of the IAEA emphasized that the stability of energy supply is critically important for ensuring nuclear safety.
He also emphasized the need to observe the seven basic principles of nuclear safety, among which special attention is paid to reliable external energy supply for nuclear power plants.
What is known about the mass attack of the Russian Federation on Ukraine
Russian troops staged a massive combined attack on Ukraine in the morning of November 17. Electricity generation and transmission facilities throughout Ukraine were under attack.
In Mykolaiv and Odesa, there are casualties due to the attack. Railway workers were also killed in the Dnipropetrovsk region due to shelling by the occupiers. The most difficult situation with light in Odessa.
This is already the eighth mass attack on energy companies this year.
According to the military, according to preliminary data, the radio engineering troops of the Air Force detected and escorted 210 enemy air targets — 120 missiles and 90 UAVs. Namely:
one 3M22 "Zirkon" hypersonic ship missile;
8 Kh-47M2 "Kinzhal" aeroballistic missiles;
101 Kh-101 Kalibr cruise missiles;
one "Iskander-M" ballistic missile;
4 Kh-22/Kh-31P cruise/anti-radiation missiles;
5 Kh-59/Kh-69 guided air missiles;
90 attack UAVs/drones of unspecified type.
During the night, all available forces and means of air defense worked along the tracking route of missiles and drones. Aviation, anti-aircraft missile units, EW devices and mobile fire groups of the Air Force and the Defense Forces of Ukraine were involved.
According to preliminary data, as of 12.00 there is information about the downing of 144 air targets — 102 missiles and 42 UAVs:
1 hypersonic cruise missile 3M22 "Zirkon"; 7 Kh-47M2 "Kinzhal" aeroballistic missiles; 85 Kh-101 Kalibr cruise missiles; 4 Kh-22/Kh-31P cruise/anti-radio missiles; 5 Kh-59/69 guided air missiles; 42 attack UAVs/drones of an unspecified type (from Kursk, Orel, Primorsko-Akhtarsk regions).
