Ukraine's nuclear plants crippled: IAEA assesses missile damage
Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency are evaluating the situation in Ukraine's nuclear power plants following Sunday's missile attack by Russia. According to initial findings, seven of the country's nine operational reactors sustained damage.
18 November 2024 11:12
After the large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine on Sunday, seven of the nine operational reactors in the country were damaged, reports Bloomberg.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that during the attack on all regions of Ukraine, the Russians deployed 120 missiles and 90 drones. The main target was the energy infrastructure.
"The country's energy infrastructure is highly vulnerable to attacks, which directly impacts nuclear safety," said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, as quoted by Bloomberg. He added that inspectors are determining the extent of the damage.
Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency monitoring the situation at Ukrainian power plants reported that on Sunday, only two of the nine reactors were operating at full capacity.
Production was reduced to 40-90% capacity, according to a statement from the UN's nuclear energy oversight body.
With its four nuclear power plants, Ukraine, even before the invasion, was considered an energy powerhouse in Europe. It ranks third in terms of nuclear generation potential on the continent.
According to data cited by the industry portal nuklear.pl, the total installed capacity of the 15 Ukrainian units is approximately 13,835 megawatts of energy. This accounts for more than half of the electricity produced in Ukraine.
