The systematic, planned strikes by the enemy on substations critical to the operation of the nuclear energy complex indicate that the risk of a nuclear accident is extremely high and real.
This was stated by the Minister of Energy of Ukraine, German Galushchenko, in his video address during the UN thematic event "Protection of Ukraine’s Critical Energy Infrastructure from Russian Attacks During the War," initiated by Ukraine in cooperation with Lithuania, Estonia, Denmark, Norway, France, and Poland.
German Galushchenko reminded that this year alone, the enemy has already carried out 11 massive attacks on the energy infrastructure.
"These attacks began on March 22, and almost every day we are under shelling. The attacks are becoming more heavy. The enemy is using all kinds of weapons, including ballistic missiles and cluster munitions, to destroy our infrastructure. The consequences of these attacks are very difficult for the energy system, as this year alone we have lost up to 9 GW of generating facilities. This is equivalent to the energy consumption of some European countries, such as the Netherlands," he said.
The Minister added that in Ukraine, up to 60% of electricity is generated by nuclear power plants, and attacks on energy infrastructure create a risk of nuclear accidents.
"This risk is absolutely real: we have already faced several very dangerous situations due to these attacks. In particular, during the attack on August 26, we had an emergency shutdown of four nuclear units in the system. You can understand that this is one step before the Fukushima scenario, and one step away from a nuclear accident," said the Minister.
He reminded that after this attack, IAEA experts visited Ukrainian substations critical to nuclear safety and acknowledged that such strikes pose a real threat to nuclear safety worldwide. However, on November 17 and 28, there were further strikes on substations critical to nuclear safety and the operation of Ukraine's nuclear energy complex, which further complicated the situation.
"All of this indicates that the risk of a nuclear accident is extremely high and real. That is why I urge everyone to make every effort to stop these aggressive Russian attacks on critical substations that ensure nuclear safety," Galushchenko said, adding that another round of IAEA expert missions to these facilities is expected soon.
The Minister of Energy of Ukraine concluded that enemy attacks on energy infrastructure completely contradict all international norms and conventions and are not acts of combat but acts of terrorism against civilians, as the main goal of these attacks is to deprive Ukrainians of heat, water, and electricity. Therefore, it is very important not to remain indifferent, especially when it comes to the risk of a nuclear accident.
