Only 2 out of 9 reactors of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants operate at 100% capacity – IAEA

Ukraine’s nuclear power plants cut electricity production early on the morning of November 17 as a precaution following a massive Russian strike on the country that targeted its energy infrastructure and put nuclear safety at further risk, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said.

“Although the Khmelnytsky, Rivne and Yuzhno-Ukrainian nuclear power plants were not directly affected or shut down, several electrical substations on which they depend suffered additional damage during the strikes… The main power lines from four substations were disconnected. At the moment, only two of the country’s nine operating reactors are producing electricity at 100% capacity,” the IAEA said.

According to Grossi, IAEA teams visited seven substations located outside nuclear power plants around the country in September and October to assess the damage caused by the August strikes and will determine if further visits are needed after the November 17 attack.

“The country’s energy infrastructure is extremely vulnerable, which directly affects nuclear safety,” the IAEA director general said, adding that the full extent of the damage was still being assessed.

On the night of November 17, Russian troops launched a massive combined attack on the facilities of the energy sector of Ukraine, using, according to the Air Force of the Armed Forces, 120 missiles and 90 unmanned aerial vehicles.

“Ukrenergo” warned about the consumption restriction measures planned for November 18, from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. there will be two rounds of shutdowns at the same time.

The company cited damage to energy facilities during today’s massive missile and drone attack by the Russian Federation as the reason for the return of restrictions.

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