Ukraine calls urgent IAEA Board meeting over Russian attacks on energy system

Ukraine has requested the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to convene an urgent meeting of its Board of Governors in response to the latest Russian strikes on energy infrastructure.

Source: Ukraine's Ministry of Energy; Mykola Kolisnyk, Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Energy, during the national joint 24/7 newscast

Quote from the energy ministry: "Ukraine has formally requested that the Agency convene the Board of Governors as a matter of urgency. The aim is to develop mechanisms to prevent Russia's attacks on critical infrastructure and to push for greater international action on nuclear and radiological safety."

Details: The Ukrainian energy ministry is in constant contact with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.

Quote from Kolisnyk: "Following the latest attack, emergency repair works have been underway 24/7. Last night, the enemy used 45 missiles of different types, more than 30 of them were ballistic and cluster munitions.

This strike has been one of the most technologically complex. Russia is using intelligence to hit key elements of the [Ukrainian] power system's technological chain."

More details: Kolisnyk drew attention to Russian strikes on substations that supply Khmelnytskyi and Rivne nuclear power plants.

Quote from Kolisnyk: "This is not the first targeted strike on key high-voltage lines. Damage to them forces nuclear power generation to temporarily reduce output to avoid the risk of emergencies and cascading outages in the system."

Background:

• The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) regained access to backup power from the grid for the first time in six months, following the completion of repairs to its second power transmission line.
• On 7 November, an IAEA-brokered ceasefire came into effect near the ZNPP to enable repair work to be carried out to strengthen the plant's connection to the power grid and prevent a nuclear disaster.
• The IAEA earlier said Russian forces had struck key substations that support Ukraine-controlled nuclear plants, which caused at least one plant's power units to operate at lower capacity.

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