Substations on which Ukraine’s nuclear power plants depend for the offsite power needed to cool their reactors have been affected by widespread military activities, compromising nuclear safety and potentially leading to an accident, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director-general Rafael Grossi said on his latest update on Ukraine.
In recent months, Ukraine’s operating nuclear stations – Khmelnitski, Rivne and South Ukraine – have several times been forced to reduce power output because of widespread military activities affecting the electricity grid, in which the substations form a key part.
Most recently, Ukraine told the IAEA that the plants temporarily lowered their production on 1 February before returning to nominal power again.
The IAEA said the nuclear plants depend on the substations for reactor cooling and for other essential nuclear safety and security functions and also to transmit the electricity they generate.