- Ukraine disables four nuclear power plant reactors through airstrike
Due to a Russian aerial assault, Ukraine was forced to momentarily halt operations at four of its nuclear reactors, as per official announcements. The Ukrainian administration made these declarations in a communique to the International Atomic Energy Agency situated in Vienna. The IAEA released this communique from a contributing nation, yet has yet to express their stance on the issue.
In the early hours of last Monday's intense Russian air strike, reactors 1, 3, and 4 at the Rivne NPP needed to be temporarily disabled. The South Ukraine NPP increased its power output to offset this loss. Later in the afternoon, due to grid voltage fluctuations, the third reactor block at this facility also had to be shut down.
The letter noted, "The Russian Federation is strategically attacking Ukraine's energy infrastructure with the goal of destabilizing the operation of nuclear power plants, which supply the majority of Ukraine's electricity." No separate affirmations were released in relation to this incident.
Russia had previously bombarded or impaired numerous coal, gas, and hydroelectric power plants utilizing airstrikes. Although Ukrainian-controlled NPPs have not endured direct attacks, they have been influenced by power grid inconsistencies. The largest Ukrainian NPP, Zaporizhzhia, currently under Russian control, is presently offline. The IAEA has urged both sides to ensure the security of nuclear facilities.
The Russian strategy aimed at disrupting Ukraine's energy sector included attacks on its nuclear power plants, as stated in the letter. The conflict surrounding these attacks has led to temporary shutdowns at several Ukrainian nuclear reactors.
