Ukrainian nuclear power plants lower output following Russian strikes, IAEA reports

Ukraine’s nuclear power plants reduced their electricity production as a precautionary measure due to large-scale missile strikes targeting the country’s energy infrastructure, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a statement on Nov. 17.

The attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure led to “increased nuclear safety and security risks,” Grossi said.

While the Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, and South Ukrainian plants remained operational and avoided direct hits, several substations critical to their power supply were damaged.

Grossi emphasized the vulnerability of Ukraine’s energy network and reiterated the importance of securing a reliable external power supply to nuclear facilities, a key IAEA safety principle.

Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on Ukraine overnight on Nov. 17, leaving at least seven civilians dead and at least 19 injured across multiple regions.

Russia targeted "power generation and transmission facilities throughout Ukraine," according to Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko.

Officials have been warning that Russia may resume strikes on the energy grid as temperatures drop, mirroring the strategy used in the spring and summer of this year and in the autumn-winter season of 2022-2023.

Ukraine, US to partner on developing small modular nuclear reactors for reconstruction

The United States will partner with Ukraine to transition Ukraine’s coal-fired plants to small modular nuclear reactors, and to use them to help decarbonize its steel industry, the countries announced on Nov. 16 at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk