Ukraine's nuclear safety in jeopardy as Russian strikes intensify Missiles over reactors

Ukraine has accused Russia of deliberately routing its missiles to fly over nuclear power plants, raising the risk of potential atomic accidents.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko revealed that Russian attacks had forced one nuclear facility to shut down on August 26 after a substation was struck, Caliber.Az reports.

Since then, he noted an alarming increase in missile flyovers above Ukraine’s three nuclear plants, which collectively produce nearly 60 per cent of the nation's electricity.

“This involves three operational nuclear stations,” Galushchenko stated. While the facility that experienced the "emergency blackout" is located in central Ukraine, the other two targeted plants are situated further west, near the EU border. The minister expressed heightened fears of a nuclear disaster stemming from the recent attacks and increased missile flyovers. These concerns echo the anxiety that surfaced when Russia seized Ukraine’s largest nuclear plant, Zaporizhzhia, in 2022, followed by subsequent assaults that led to reactor shutdowns.

Despite the financial burdens, Galushchenko advocates for expanding Ukraine's nuclear power capabilities to ensure a stable energy supply. According to him, Russian strikes have become increasingly precise this year compared to the broader attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure in autumn 2022. The August 26 strike resulted in only minor disruptions for consumers, as the energy grid operator, Ukrenenergo, managed to repair the damaged transformers quickly. However, emergency responses in other incidents faced delays due to the use of cluster munitions by Russia.

Galushchenko emphasized that targeting substations connected to nuclear plants indicated a calculated strategy by Russia. “For the past month and a half, they have altered the routes of their drones and missiles to fly near or over the nuclear power stations. Such occurrences were once rare and prompted complaints to the UN atomic agency; now they happen daily,” he remarked.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also highlighted Russia's intentions to target the country's three nuclear facilities during his address at the UN last month. Reports from Ukraine’s air force indicate a significant increase in drone attacks, nearly doubling from 790 in August to 1,339 in September.

Galushchenko acknowledged the unpredictability of Russia's actions concerning nuclear plant targeting, warning that a hit on a reactor could spell disaster for Russia, jeopardizing Rosatom's international projects.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s state nuclear company, Energoatom, has faced criticism for its failure to construct protective concrete shelters, known as Level 2 protection, for its substations. Although tenders were issued in late September and early October, the construction of these 20-meter tall structures can take up to a year. Energoatom has characterized accusations of insufficient safety measures as part of an “information attack” and has classified details about protective structures to avoid compromising security against Russia.

By Tamilla Hasanova