Drone strike disrupts Chernobyl cleanup in Ukraine, IAEA says

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has announced that some operations at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant have been slowed or halted following damage caused by a drone strike earlier this year.

According to Russian media, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said on December 13 that the agency was forced to slow down, "and in some cases even stop," the process of dismantling and removing radioactive residue from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant after the strike in February.

Ukraine and Russia have blamed each other for the incident, in which a drone damaged the structure built to contain the effects of the plant's catastrophic nuclear disaster in 1986.

Grossi added, "I think the Ukrainians themselves don't want to allow a leak after so many years. Therefore, we are very proactive here and trying to emphasise the significance of this issue."

Persistent instability in Ukraine’s electrical grid continues to challenge nuclear safety amid the ongoing military conflict, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said. Repeated disruptions in off-site power to nuclear sites remain a major concern.

Early on December 6, the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) experienced its 11th loss of all off-site power during the conflict, lasting around 30 minutes after both remaining power lines were disconnected within 20 minutes of each other. 

“While the emergency backup system functioned as designed, repeated loss of off-site power events increases operational stress and highlights the importance of maintaining reliable off-site power,” IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said.

The 330 kV Ferosplavna-1 line was reconnected after 29 minutes, while the 750 kV Dniprovska main line was restored nine hours later. Earlier this autumn, ZNPP went a month without off-site power, the longest such interruption during the conflict.

Widespread military activity has also affected external power supplies to Ukraine’s three operating nuclear plants, prompting reductions in reactor output. Grossi noted, “These disruptions have resulted in fluctuating power outputs, temporary disconnections, and forced outages at some units.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev