The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has inspected nine substations essential to the operation of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, assessing the situation as quite critical.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi made this statement during his visit to one of the substations, Ukrinform reports, citing the Ukrainian Energy Ministry.
Grossi emphasized that nuclear power plants not only generate electricity but also require a stable supply to maintain safety. He stated that during his meetings with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Energy Minister German Galushchenko in 2024, they had agreed to take a systematic approach to the issue. As a result, he explained, the IAEA had conducted an assessment of nine critical substations, comparing the situation to global standards to provide the best recommendations. Unfortunately, he noted, the situation was quite critical.
The acting chairman of the management board at Ukraine’s national grid operator Ukrenergo, Oleksii Brekht, stressed the importance of properly documenting and exposing Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
“The world must see that the aggressor is violating all norms of international law by consistently targeting Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure, posing significant threats to the safe operation of nuclear power plants,” Brekht said.
Galushchenko, in turn, said that multiple IAEA missions had already inspected substations and that such missions would continue.
On February 4, Grossi visited the Kyivska substation in the Kyiv region.
Meanwhile, the environmental organization Greenpeace has urged the IAEA to prevent Russia from attempting to restart operations at the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
Photo credit: Ukrainian Energy Ministry
Source: IAEA assesses situation at Ukrainian NPPs as quite critical after visiting key substations
