Ukraine's Minister of Energy German Galushchenko held a trilateral meeting in Paris with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi and Frederic Mondoloni, Director General of Political and Security Affairs at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. The parties discussed collaboration to ensure nuclear safety and maintain the resilience of Ukraine's energy system amid ongoing russian attacks on energy infrastructure.
German Galushchenko emphasized that russia continues to target Ukrainian energy facilities, posing threats not only to stable electricity supplies for civilians but also to critical infrastructure, including nuclear power plants (NPPs).
“Even if they are not directly attacking NPPs but strike substations that facilitate power transmission from NPPs, this also constitutes a nuclear threat. The international community must respond to such threats and prevent russia from continuing its dangerous game of nuclear blackouts,” the Minister stated.
Mr. Galushchenko highlighted that nuclear generation is the backbone of Ukraine's energy mix, with NPPs producing up to 60% of the country’s electricity. “We have successfully completed maintenance preparations for winter, and all nine reactors under our control are now operational. It is crucial to ensure stable and safe operation of these NPPs amid constant russian attacks.”
In this context, the importance of IAEA monitoring missions at critical substations for nuclear safety was discussed.
Rafael Grossi affirmed the IAEA’s support for Ukraine’s efforts to uphold nuclear and radiation safety and maintain secure operating conditions for NPPs. The IAEA currently has missions at all Ukrainian NPPs and is expanding them to include key substations essential to the plants’ operations.
Frederic Mondoloni, representing France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noted that the safety of Ukraine's nuclear plants is a shared objective. He emphasized the irreplaceable role of the IAEA in ensuring nuclear and radiation safety across Europe under heightened risk conditions. Mondoloni stressed that all efforts must be made to prevent the legitimization of russia’s occupation and assured continued French support for Ukraine's energy sector, particularly the assistance in navigating the winter season amid russian aggression.
