Ukraine shut down most of the operational nuclear reactors still under its control after a massive nighttime attack with Russian missiles and drones. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported that only two of the nine reactors were generating electricity at full capacity on Sunday, which risks a potential overheating of the fuel inside the reactor cores and a possible release of radiation.
"IAEA teams visited seven substations across the country to assess the damage caused by previous attacks and will evaluate whether more visits are required following the recent military activities," Grossi said on Sunday. Both facilities are located in western Ukraine. Ukraine has warned that airstrikes on critical electrical substations could trigger an emergency at one of the three nuclear power plants still under Kyiv's control.
The substations play a crucial role in the stability of high-voltage transmission in the power grids, and generation in other units has been reduced by between 40 and 90 percent. "Ukraine's energy infrastructure is extremely vulnerable, which directly affects nuclear safety," commented Rafael Mariano Grossi, IAEA Director General.
Russian forces fired a large number of missiles and drones at nuclear facilities, creating an extremely delicate situation. IAEA inspectors based at the Khmelnytskyy nuclear power plant heard an explosion, while in Rivne the high-voltage power lines became inoperable. Nuclear generation requires a constant flow of electricity to maintain its safety systems.
"Inspectors are assessing the total extent of the damage," Grossi stated. Russia has launched one of its largest attacks on Ukraine to date amid a prolonged invasion that is approaching one thousand days.
