IAEA to step up support for Ukraine’s energy infrastructure damaged by latest Russian attacks

Follow the latest news on the war in Ukraine live

September 3 () –

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has announced that it will soon send teams of experts to analyse the situation at Ukrainian nuclear power stations damaged in recent Russian attacks and will expand support for its energy infrastructure to ensure nuclear safety.

The announcement came after a meeting in kyiv between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, who warned that the situation “is becoming increasingly vulnerable and even potentially dangerous.”

“Our experts will apply the Agency’s experience in nuclear industrial safety and critical infrastructure protection to assess these substations,” explained Grossi, who recalled that “the safety of nuclear power plants depends on a stable and reliable connection to the electrical grid.”

The IAEA has noted that increased pressure on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in recent months has led to instability in the network, especially after “widespread attacks” on such facilities on August 26, which led to the closure of some nuclear reactors.

“The increased vulnerability of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure is deeply worrying for nuclear safety (…) as we saw last week when several reactors stopped operating due to damage to energy infrastructure in other parts of the country,” he said.

For his part, President Zelenki stressed that the main topic of discussion has been focused on strengthening nuclear safety in Ukraine, not only by ensuring monitoring of the status of the power plants, but also that of the substations “which are critical to their operation.”