Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha commented on the massive attack by the Russian Federation on the Ukrainian energy system that took place the night of November 8. According to him, the enemy deliberately targeted substations that supply electricity to the Khmelnytskyi and Rivne nuclear power plants.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Threat to Europe’s nuclear safety
The Minister emphasized that these strikes were not random, but rather carefully planned. He stated that the actions of the Russian Federation consciously create a danger to nuclear safety across the entire European continent.
“These were not random, but well-planned strikes. Russia is deliberately jeopardizing Europe’s nuclear safety,” the minister reported.
Andrii Sybiha called for an urgent meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors to respond to these challenges. He also appealed to all countries that value nuclear safety, particularly China and India, to demand that the Russian Federation immediately cease dangerous attacks on nuclear energy facilities that could lead to catastrophic consequences.
Consequences of the massive attack and the response from energy workers
As a result of the night attack on November 8, the operator “Ukrenergo” reported the introduction of electricity consumption restrictions, which will last at least until November 9 and will involve two to four shifts. Additionally, the company “DTEK” reported damage to one of its thermal power plants.
According to the Air Force, the Russian Federation used 45 missiles during the attack, of which 32 were ballistic, as well as 458 drones. Ukrainian air defense forces managed to shoot down or suppress 415 aerial targets. Unfortunately, as a result of the attack, three fatalities have already been reported in Dnipro.
The minister urged the international community to exert decisive pressure on Russia to end its nuclear blackmail and ensure the stability of Ukraine’s energy system.