Chornobyl Loses All External Power After Russian Strikes on Key Substations

Several Ukrainian electrical substations critical to nuclear safety were damaged during Russian strikes early Tuesday, leaving the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant completely without external power, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on January 20.

“Several Ukrainian electrical substations vital for nuclear safety were affected by widespread military activity this morning, Director General Rafael Grossi said.”

According to the IAEA, ChNPP lost all off-site power, and power lines to other NPPs were also impacted.

“The IAEA is actively following developments in order to assess impact on nuclear safety,” DG Grossi added.”

According to the agency, the strikes damaged multiple substations essential for maintaining stable electricity supplies to nuclear facilities.

In addition to Chornobyl losing all off-site power, transmission lines connecting other Ukrainian nuclear power plants were also affected.

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War in Ukraine

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The IAEA said it is closely monitoring the situation to determine whether the damage poses additional risks to nuclear safety, underscoring growing concerns over the vulnerability of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure amid ongoing Russian attacks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia’s continued attacks on Ukraine’s energy system, including actions that could endanger nuclear power plants, show that Moscow has no real interest in ending the war.

Earlier, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War revealed that Russia is attempting to fracture Ukraine’s power grid by carving it into isolated “energy islands” cut off from electricity generation and transmission.

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