IAEA: Ukrainian nuclear power plants reduced electricity production due to Russian shelling. This is pressure on nuclear safety

Due to the combined air attack of the Russian Federation, the nuclear power plants (NPP) of Ukraine reduced the production of electricity as a precautionary measure. This creates pressure for nuclear safety.

This was stated by the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi, IAEA reports.

They noted that the Khmelnytsky, Rivne and South Ukrainian nuclear power plants did not stop due to the attack, but several electrical substations on which they depend suffered additional damage. Thus, the main power lines from four substations were disconnected due to the attacks.

IAEA noted that currently only two out of nine reactors in Ukraine produce electricity at 100% capacity, six more have reduced production to the level of 40-90%. One was stopped for maintenance.

The IAEA teams visited seven substations located outside NPPs across the country in September and October. The IAEA team heard a loud explosion at the Khmelnytskyi NPP. Two power transmission lines stopped at the Rivne NPP.

NPPs need a reliable connection to the grid both to transmit the electricity they produce and to obtain external energy to cool the reactor, IAEA noted.

• Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko noted that on November 17, the Russian Federation carried out a massive attack on the energy system, Russians attacked electricity generation and transmission facilities throughout Ukraine.
• Ukrainian nuclear power plants are in constant danger due to Russian air attacks. In August and September, more than 100 Russian drones and missiles flew near the nuclear power plant. And on September 23, Shahed once again flew near the site of the Khmelnytskyi NPP — its trajectory indicates that Russia tried to simulate an attack on the plant. Russian drones flew less than 10 km from the nuclear facilities of the South Ukrainian nuclear power plant on the night of October 7.
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine stated that the Russian Federation was preparing strikes on critical Ukrainian nuclear energy facilities on the eve of winter. These are, in particular, open distribution devices at nuclear power plants and transmission substations, which are important for the safe operation of nuclear energy.

For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine please follow us on X.