Kyiv. On Tuesday, a serious crisis situation once again arose at Ukraine’s Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, which witnessed the world’s worst nuclear tragedy. The plant was suddenly completely cut off from its external power supply due to fierce drone and missile attacks by the Russian military. The United Nations’ nuclear monitoring body, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has confirmed the incident and expressed deep concern about nuclear safety.
On Tuesday morning, Russia launched a massive attack targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. These attacks damaged several critical power substations, which are essential for the safe operation of nuclear plants. The attacks not only disrupted Chernobyl’s power supply, but also damaged power lines connecting to other nuclear power plants in Ukraine. This military action plunged many areas, including the capital Kiev, into darkness amid the bitter cold, causing heating and water supply to thousands of homes.
Although the Chernobyl plant has been decommissioned since the 1986 accident and is currently closed, a continuous supply of electricity is vital. The plant requires electricity to cool the spent nuclear fuel and keep safety systems running. The plant’s emergency backup generator and internal safety systems were activated immediately after the connection to the external grid was lost, averting a major disaster.
Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said that given the seriousness of the situation, they are constantly assessing the impacts on nuclear security. He warned that such attacks close to nuclear facilities in an active war zone pose a major risk to international security standards. However, Ukraine’s Energy Ministry later announced relief news that Chernobyl’s power supply had been restored and the plant had been reconnected to the United Energy System. It is a matter of relief that this incident does not currently pose any direct threat to the environment or human loss. But these repeated attacks have forced Ukraine to raise its voice on the international stage. Ukraine has called for an emergency meeting of the Board of Governors to discuss the issue and take stock of the long-term implications of the Russian attacks on nuclear security.