The Khmelnytskyi and Rivne nuclear power plants in Ukraine were forced to reduce electricity production after a night attack on a "electrical substation of critical importance for nuclear safety". This was reported on the X platform by the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi.
He did not specify the location of the substation or the extent of the damage, but stressed that the situation is being closely monitored by international observers. According to him, there is currently no direct threat to the safety of nuclear reactors.
Both Ukrainian authorities and the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed that energy infrastructure was among the targets of the latest shelling, but did not specify which specific sites were affected. Similar attacks on power substations have been carried out before, which has repeatedly put the Ukrainian energy system under strain.
Before Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, nuclear power plants provided up to 55% of Ukraine's electricity. After the occupation of Europe's largest Zaporizhzhia NPP, three facilities remained under Kiev's control - Khmelnytskyi, Rivne and Yuzhno-Ukrainian.
According to the IAEA, experts on the ground are in contact with the Ukrainian operator "Energoatom" and are monitoring the situation to assess the potential impact on nuclear safety and the stability of the electricity supply.