Ukraine's nuclear safety threatened by missile damage
Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency are assessing the situation in Ukraine's nuclear power plants following Russia's missile attack on Sunday. Preliminary findings indicate that seven of the nine operational reactors in the country were damaged.
18 November 2024 08:01
Following the massive Russian attack on Ukraine on Sunday, seven of the nine operational reactors in the country were damaged, reports Bloomberg.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that during the attack on all regions of Ukraine, the Russians used 120 missiles and 90 drones. The target was the energy infrastructure.
"The country's energy infrastructure is extremely vulnerable to attacks, directly affecting nuclear safety," said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, as quoted by Bloomberg. He added that inspectors are assessing the extent of the damage.
Employees from the International Atomic Energy Agency monitoring the situation at Ukraine's power plants reported that on Sunday, only two out of the nine reactors were generating electricity at full capacity.
Production was reduced to between 40 and 90% capacity, according to a statement from the UN's nuclear energy oversight body.
With its four nuclear power plants, Ukraine was considered an energy powerhouse in Europe even before the invasion. It is ranked third in terms of nuclear generation potential on the continent.
According to data cited by the industry portal nuklear.pl, the total installed capacity of the 15 Ukrainian units is approximately 13,800 MW. This represents more than half of the electricity produced in Ukraine.
