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Russian Strikes Threaten Nuclear Safety as Three Ukrainian Plants Cut Output, IAEA Warns

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Photo of Vlad Litnarovych
Vlad Litnarovych
News Writer
A general view of the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant, in Varash, Rivne region, on September 10, 2023. (Source: Getty Images)
A general view of the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant, in Varash, Rivne region, on September 10, 2023. (Source: Getty Images)

Three more Ukrainian nuclear power plants have been forced to reduce output following a wave of Russian attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure overnight, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on October 30.

According to the agency, several substations critical to nuclear safety and security were damaged during the combined missile and drone assault.

The IAEA said that both the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant (SUNPP) and the Khmelnitsky Nuclear Power Plant (KhNPP) lost access to one of their external power lines as a result of the strikes.

Meanwhile, the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) was ordered by Ukraine’s grid operator to reduce the output of two of its four units in response to power system instability caused by the attacks.

The IAEA team stationed at Khmelnitsky also had to shelter at their hotel for several hours early in the morning due to ongoing military activity nearby, the agency added.

“The dangers to nuclear safety continue to be very real and ever-present,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.

“I once again call for maximum military restraint in the vicinity of nuclear facilities and full respect for the seven indispensable pillars of nuclear safety and security.”

Separately, the IAEA said efforts are ongoing to repair the 330 kV Ferosplavna-1 power line at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), after additional damage was discovered last week during work to reconnect the facility to Ukraine’s power grid.

The repairs ended a full month during which the plant operated without access to external electricity. Inspectors confirmed the discovery of new damage roughly 1.8 kilometers from the Zaporizhzhia Thermal Power Plant’s switchyard, the agency said.

Before Russia’s full-scale invasion, the Zaporizhzhia facility—Europe’s largest nuclear power plant—was connected to ten off-site power lines.

Only two remained operational by early 2024: the Ferosplavna-1 and the Dniprovska lines. Ferosplavna-1 was cut on May 7, while the Dniprovska line was disconnected late last month amid fighting in the region.

“Restoring this power line is essential to improving the fragile nuclear safety and security situation at the site,” Grossi said, adding that the IAEA continues to mediate conditions needed for the repair crews to begin work.

The IAEA has repeatedly warned that Russia’s ongoing strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid—including those near nuclear sites—create “extremely precarious” conditions for reactor safety and spent fuel storage.

Earlier, a temporary ceasefire was established around the temporarily Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to allow repairs to damaged external power lines.

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