Russian attacks on substations, transmission system threaten nuclear plants - Ministry of Energy

This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Energy.

Thus, Deputy Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk told the delegation of the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA), led by Director Per Strand, about the current state of Ukraine's power system. According to her, the situation is difficult.

"We emphasized that there are threats to nuclear and radiation safety arising from Russian attacks on substations and transmission system facilities that provide electricity, including nuclear power plants," the Energy Ministry's press service said.

The Deputy Minister also highlighted the threat of a nuclear incident in connection with the Russian occupation of Europe's largest nuclear power plant, ZNPP. They discussed areas of international cooperation to ensure nuclear and radiation safety at the facility.

The parties agreed to deepen cooperation within the framework of a memorandum on the establishment of a bilateral working group on nuclear security, nuclear safety and emergency preparedness.

Situation in the power system: what is known

On 22 March, Russia conducted the largest combined attack on the Ukrainian energy system since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. The invaders launched more than 60 drones and almost 90 missiles of various types into Ukraine. Ukraine's largest hydroelectric power plant, the Dnipro Hydroelectric Station, was among the targets. Oil products got into the river. Later, on March 25, Ihor Syrota, CEO of Ukrhydroenergo Power Company, stated that restoring the station would be a lengthy process due to the need to analyze debris in the engine room before assessing the full extent of the damage. According to the Ministry of the Environment, Russia's attack on Dnipro HPP caused UAH 140 million in damages to Ukraine's environment.

On the night of 29 March, Russia struck Ukraine’s energy sector again. The national energy company Ukrenergo reported that the Russian attack damaged thermal and hydroelectric power plants in the central and western regions of Ukraine. In particular, the energy infrastructure in Dnipropetrovsk, Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Cherkasy, and Chernivtsi regions was affected. 

Emergency shutdowns were introduced in the Dnipropetrovsk region and hourly shutdown schedules in the Kharkiv region.

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