During the massive attack on November 3, Russian troops sent three strike drones at a substation critically important for the stable operation of the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant. Ukrainian authorities warned international partners about the nuclear safety threat posed by such strikes.
This was reported by First Deputy Prime Minister — Minister of Energy of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal following a meeting with ambassadors of the G7 countries and the European Union. The corresponding statement was published by the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine.
According to Shmyhal, Russian troops deliberately attacked the energy infrastructure supporting the operation of Ukrainian nuclear power plants. In particular, three drones were directed at a substation critically important for the Khmelnytskyi NPP.
"Such actions pose a threat not only to Ukraine, but also to the nuclear safety of all of Europe. This is a serious escalation step, which we have informed the IAEA about," — stated the minister.
Shmyhal emphasized that Ukraine expects an appropriate reaction from international partners to the further intensification of Russian attacks against infrastructure ensuring the stable operation of nuclear energy.
However, the minister did not specify whether the drones reached their targets and whether the substation was damaged. There was also no report on changes in the operating mode of the Khmelnytskyi NPP power units directly as a result of this episode.
Strikes on infrastructure related to nuclear power plants are particularly dangerous. Reliable external power supply is necessary for the functioning of safety systems and reactor cooling. Damage to electrical networks can also limit the ability of nuclear power plants to transmit produced electricity to consumers.
In total, during the massive attack on November 3, Russia used 289 drones, 17 ballistic, and 59 cruise missiles. The main targets, according to the Ministry of Energy, were power plants as well as substations of transmission and distribution systems.
On the morning of November 3, the agency reported attacks on energy facilities in ten regions of Ukraine. The most difficult situation with electricity supply was in Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, and Kharkiv regions, where infrastructure suffered large-scale damage.
As a result of the shelling, emergency power outages were introduced in several regions. In addition, DTEK reported the shutdown of generation at three thermal power plants after Russian missile and drone strikes.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly warned about the danger of military actions near Ukrainian NPPs and damage to facilities providing their power supply. In particular, attacks on electrical infrastructure have already led to the forced reduction of capacity at some Ukrainian nuclear power units.
As of the evening of November 3, no separate public assessment of the consequences of the new attack for the Khmelnytskyi NPP has been received from the IAEA. The Ukrainian side expects an international reaction to Russia's actions.
Based on materials from: Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, Ukrinform, OECD Nuclear Energy Agency.
