IAEA: Russian attacks damage power substations vital for Ukraine’s nuclear safety

Russian attacks on Oct. 30 damaged electrical substations that are essential for keeping Ukraine’s nuclear power plants safe and running, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported.

Substations are key parts of the power grid that distribute electricity between power plants and cities. They also provide backup power to nuclear facilities, which is critical to prevent overheating or accidents if reactors lose their main power supply. 

According to the IAEA, its teams stationed at Ukraine’s nuclear power plants observed power disruptions during the attacks. The South Ukraine and Khmelnytskyi nuclear plants lost access to one of their external power lines.

During the shelling, the IAEA team at the Khmelnytskyi plant was forced to shelter for several hours. At the Rivne nuclear plant, two of the four power units had to reduce output due to grid damage.

“The dangers to nuclear safety continue to be very real and ever-present. I once again call for maximum military restraint in the vicinity of nuclear facilities and full respect of the seven indispensable pillars for nuclear safety and security,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.

Ukraine’s Energy Ministry called Russia’s actions an act of nuclear terrorism and urged the international community to tighten sanctions against Moscow.

At a meeting with Grossi on the sidelines of the G7 summit, Ukrainian Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk briefed him on the impact of the latest attacks and stressed the importance of maintaining an international expert presence at key energy sites.

“The presence of IAEA experts at Ukrainian energy facilities is critically important now, as the enemy has intensified its attacks,” Hrynchuk said.

Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security said the Oct. 30 strikes were deliberate and may have been coordinated with Russian energy companies, including the state corporation Rosatom.

Kyiv views these actions as complicity in nuclear terrorism and a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law. Ukraine is urging its partners to end all cooperation with Rosatom in the civilian sector.

Ukraine operates four active nuclear power plants: Rivne, Khmelnytskyi, South Ukraine, and Zaporizhzhia. The Zaporizhzhia plant — Europe’s largest — remains under Russian occupation.