Russia's continued attacks against Ukraine's power grid heighten the risk of a nuclear accident, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi warned during his visit to Kyiv on Feb. 4.
Grossi is visiting Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian officials regarding nuclear safety in wartime before heading to Moscow to discuss the situation with Russian authorities. The visit marks his 11th mission to Kyiv since the launch of Russia's full-scale invasion.
"I'm at Kyivska electrical substation—an important part of Ukraine's power grid essential for nuclear safety," Grossi wrote on X.
"A nuclear accident can result from a direct attack on a plant, but also from power supply disruption."
According to the IAEA, part of the purpose of the visit is to assess damage to infrastructure that plays a key role in Ukraine's nuclear safety. In a video filmed at the substation, Grossi said he was impressed with Ukraine's reconstruction efforts at the site despite the evident damage to critical infrastructure.
Grossi also held meetings with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko, and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
Since the outbreak of the full-scale war in 2022, Russia has relentlessly targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure, ramping up attacks in the winter months. Recent drone and missile strikes have necessitated emergency blackouts across the country.
These attacks and disruptions pose a risk to the safety of Ukraine's nuclear power plants, Grossi said.
"Having external power supply is essential," he said. "And of course, the situation is quite dire. We should not, I think, hide that fact.
Ukraine relies on nuclear power for more than half of its energy production, and Russia's ongoing attacks have increased the demand for nuclear energy — while increasing the risk of nuclear disaster.
Russian forces have occupied the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe's largest nuclear facility, since March 2022. The plant has been repeatedly disconnected from Ukraine's power grid due to Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, posing a serious hazard to nuclear safety.
The IAEA has had a rotating mission at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant since September 2022. The agency has also sent teams to monitor other nuclear facilities in Ukraine due to Russia's intensifying assaults on the energy system.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
(Updated: )
