(Bloomberg) — Ukraine powered down most of the remaining operational nuclear reactors under its control following a massive overnight Russian missile and drone attack.
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Staff from the International Atomic Energy Agency stationed at plants in Ukraine reported that only two of nine reactors were generating electricity at full capacity on Sunday. Generation was dialed down to between 40% and 90% of capacity at the other units, according to a statement from the UN’s nuclear watchdog.
“The country’s energy infrastructure is extremely vulnerable, directly impacting nuclear safety and security,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. He added that inspectors are evaluating he full extent of the damage.
Russia launched one of its largest missile barrages against Ukraine on Sunday as the full-scale invasion of its neighbor nears the 1,000-day mark. About 120 cruise, ballistic and aeroballistic missiles and 90 drones were fired by Kremlin forces operating from bomber jets and ships, Ukraine’s air force said.
An IAEA team based at the Khmelnytskyy Nuclear Power Plant reported hearing a loud explosion, while others stationed at the Rivne site reported that high-voltage power lines were unavailable. Both facilities are in western Ukraine.
Ukraine has warned that air strikes against critical power substations could trigger an emergency at one of the three operating nuclear power plants still under Kyiv’s control.
Substations maintain stability by regulating high-voltage transmission on power grids. Unlike fossil fuel or renewable plants, nuclear generation needs a constant flow of electricity to keep safety systems running. Without it, fuel inside a reactor’s core risks overheating, potentially resulting in a dangerous release of radiation.
Ukraine has thousands of electricity substations. But at stake are ten crucial nodes linked to atomic power plants, whose destruction could plunge the country into darkness and provoke a radiological emergency, Ukraine’s Energy Minister German Galushchenko told Bloomberg News in a September interview.
“The IAEA teams visited seven substations – located outside the nuclear power plants across the country – in September and October to assess the damage from attacks in August, and will assess whether further visits are required following today’s military activities,” Grossi said on Sunday.