Russia Nuclear authority: Reactors in Ukraine throttled due to attack
Due to the heavy Russian air attack on Ukraine's energy system, its nuclear power plants have once again had to reduce their output. This time, five out of nine operating reactors were affected, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna announced on the social network X.
13.12.2024, 14:38
SDA
According to Kiev's count, Russia fired more than 90 missiles and almost 200 combat drones at power plants and other targets in the morning. The three nuclear power plants under Ukrainian control - Rivne, Khmelnytskyi and South Ukraine - were not directly attacked. However, severe voltage fluctuations in the grid, hits on lines or transformer stations mean that the reactors have to be throttled back. The IAEA has been warning for some time that the attacks indirectly increase the risk of incidents.
Ukraine's fourth nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhya, has been occupied by Russian troops since 2022 and is out of operation.
As a result of the damage to the grid, the already planned power cuts in many parts of Ukraine had to be extended. The private energy company DTEK announced in Kiev that its thermal power plants had been shelled again. There was damage, but no further details were given. The attack on Friday morning was the twelfth heavy Russian air attack on Ukrainian energy plants this year and the ninth on DTEK plants.
The DTEK Burschtyn power plant in western Ukraine announced that the supply of heating and hot water to the surrounding area had been temporarily disrupted. The energy company Ukrenergo also reported damage to its plants.
