Russian troops continue to deliberately attack Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, forcing the country’s nuclear power plants to operate under critical conditions. This situation poses a real threat of a large-scale nuclear accident for all of Europe.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Critical State of Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plants and Risks for Europe
Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha emphasized that due to regular shelling by the Russian Federation, three operational Ukrainian nuclear power plants are forced to reduce their output, and in some cases, automatic shutdowns of reactors are occurring. Continuous flights of Russian drones over the sites of the Rivne and Khmelnytsky nuclear power plants only complicate the operations of critical infrastructure facilities. According to the minister, the situation remains under control only thanks to the professionalism of the plant staff, but the Russian Federation continues to deliberately provoke escalation.
“Russian terror puts all of Europe at risk of a nuclear incident – partners and the media must pay attention to this and act immediately to stop the nuclear terrorists in Moscow,” the minister emphasized.
Ukraine demands an immediate increase in sanctions pressure on the state corporation “Rosatom” and the provision of additional air defense resources to protect energy hubs that are crucial for the stable operation of nuclear power plants.
Consequences of Attacks: Accidents and Power Outages
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Denys Shmyhal reported another massive attack by the Russian Federation on Ukraine’s energy facilities. Substations and overhead power lines with voltages of 750 and 330 kV, which are the backbone of the Ukrainian energy system, as well as generating facilities – Burshtyn and Dobrotvir thermal power plants – were under fire.
Due to these damages, Ukrainian nuclear power plants were forced to reduce their generation capacity, and emergency power outages were introduced in most regions of the country, as reported by “Ukrenergo”.
The Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on massive night and morning strikes on February 7, carried out by missiles and drones – a total of over 447 aerial attack means were recorded, with the main targets being the Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Rivne, and Vinnytsia regions.
After the massive attacks by the Russian Federation, a state of emergency was declared in Ukraine’s energy system, and in Kyiv, temporary outage schedules began to be implemented instead of emergency ones starting January 29. At the same time, on January 31, a systemic accident occurred, during which high-voltage lines between the energy systems of Romania and Moldova, as well as between the western and central parts of Ukraine, were simultaneously disconnected.
As a result of the accident, emergency power outages were recorded in several regions, including Kyiv: the metro was halted, and there were disruptions in water supply. However, by the evening of the same day, energy workers managed to restore electricity supply across the country.
President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that the causes of the technological accident in Ukraine’s energy system are being investigated, and there is currently no confirmation of external interference or cyberattacks. According to him, the primary cause could have been bad weather, which led to icing of the lines and automatic shutdowns.