Ukraine warns of significant risks to nuclear safety from Russian airstrikes

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukraine has warned that recent Russian airstrikes pose a substantial risk to the country's nuclear facilities and public safety, as attacks continue to disrupt critical infrastructure.

“Russian attacks pose a significant risk to the stable operation of nuclear facilities in Ukraine and the safety of millions of people,” said a note issued to the International Atomic Energy Agency, highlighting the severe threat posed by the ongoing Russian strikes.

The warning follows one of the largest airstrikes conducted by Russia on Monday, which affected 15 Ukrainian regions. Kyiv reported that over 100 missiles and drones were launched by Moscow during the assault.

According to the Ukrainian statement, the primary objective of the airstrikes was to incapacitate the country’s power generation facilities. Notably, the attack led to the disconnection of three out of four power units at the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant from the national power grid. Additionally, the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant experienced a reduction in power output to 1,800 megawatts, with one of its units also being disconnected due to grid fluctuations.

“The Russian Federation continues to deliberately target Ukraine's energy infrastructure, aiming to disrupt the operation of our nuclear power plants, which are critical to providing the majority of Ukraine's electricity,” the statement read.

In response, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that "all designated targets" were hit during the attack. The ministry described the strikes as targeting “critical energy infrastructure facilities” that support Ukraine’s military-industrial complex.