IAEA chief says Ukraine’s 3 operating nuclear power plants ‘largely restored’ production

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said that Ukraine’s three operating nuclear power plants have “largely restored” electricity production following reduced outputs last month over Russian airstrikes.

A statement by the IAEA chief on Thursday said that eight of the nine reactors in the country’s Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, and South Ukraine nuclear power plants are currently operational, with the remaining reactor currently being in shutdown.

“Over the past week, most of them have gradually increased output again, even though some units operated below full capacity for several days after the military strikes on 28 November, which affected electrical infrastructure that is essential for nuclear safety,” the statement said, indicating that some off-site power lines still remain disconnected.

Grossi was quoted as saying that a stable electricity grid providing secure off-site power is essential to ensure nuclear safety at these nuclear power plants, which he said are vital for the country’s electricity needs, especially amid the winter months.

The statement further said that IAEA teams at the three nuclear power plants, as well as the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, reported maintaining nuclear safety and security at these facilities.

On the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest and one of the world’s 10 biggest, which has been under Russian control since March 2022, Grossi said the situation at the site remained "precarious," with both remaining power lines connecting to the site being prone to frequent outages.

The statement went on to claim that the IAEA team at the Zaporizhzhia plant continues to be denied access to the external spare parts warehouse and diesel fuel storage facility, but that the damaged diesel fuel storage tank at the site has been repaired.

Concerns persist over a possible nuclear disaster between Moscow and Kyiv, both of which have frequently accused each other of attacks around the facility.

Russian authorities have not yet commented on the IAEA chief's remarks.