(MENAFN- UkrinForm) During Russian large-scale airstrike targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure on Sunday, several substations that supply off-power to Ukrainian nuclear power plants were damaged. As a result, the plants were forced to reduce electricity production.
This was reported by Ukrinform, citing a statement from Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
"Ukraine's operating nuclear power plants (NPPs) reduced electricity production as a precautionary measure this morning following widespread military activities across the country that reportedly targeted its energy infrastructure, putting nuclear safety and security under further pressure," Grossi stated.
It was noted that while the Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, and South Ukraine NPPs were not directly impacted and did not shut down, "several electrical substations on which they depend suffered further damage during the strikes."
"The main power lines from four of the substations were disconnected. At the moment, only two of the country's nine operational reactors currently generate electricity at 100 percent capacity," the report said.
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According to Grossi, IAEA teams visited seven substations across the country in September and October to assess the damage following attacks in August, and they will assess the need for new visits after today's strikes.
"The IAEA teams based at the NPPs heard air defence activities and sought shelter during the air raid alarms. At the Khmelnytskyy NPP, the IAEA team heard a loud explosion. At the Rivne NPP, two 330 kilovolt (kV) power lines were unavailable," the International Atomic Energy Agency reported.
It was emphasized that nuclear power plants require reliable connections to the power grid not only to transmit the electricity they generate but also to receive off-power for reactor cooling.
"We are still assessing the full extent of the damage. At this critical time, I reiterate the importance of adhering to the seven indispensable pillars for nuclear safety and security during the conflict, in particular pillar four that states there must be a secure off-site power supply from the grid for all nuclear sites," Grossi added.
As reported by Ukrinform, since Saturday evening, Russia has been attacking Ukraine's energy sector facilities with various types of air, ground, and sea-launched missiles, as well as Shahed-type attack drones.
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