Kyiv: Ukraine announced the restoration of power supply to the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant following a period of power loss attributed to “widespread military activity.” The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had previously reported the plant’s loss of all off-site power on Tuesday.
According to Anadolu Agency, a statement from Ukraine’s Energy Ministry confirmed that all facilities at the Chornobyl site, including the New Safe Confinement and spent nuclear fuel storage, are now receiving electricity from the country’s integrated power system and are functioning under normal conditions. The statement assured that radiation levels remain within established control limits, and the plant is equipped with sufficient fuel reserves and fully operational backup power sources in case of further disruptions.
The Energy Ministry emphasized that there is no immediate threat to the population or the environment. It also highlighted that energy specialists and plant personnel are maintaining enhanced safety protocols to monitor the situation closely. The ministry criticized the actions leading to the power disruption as “absolutely unacceptable,” accusing Russia of violating nuclear and radiation safety principles and endangering not only Ukraine but the broader European continent.
In response to the situation, Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi have agreed on the necessity of convening an extraordinary meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors to evaluate the impact of the Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Earlier in the day, the IAEA, through a post on US social media platform X, cited Grossi’s report on the Chornobyl plant losing power and mentioned that power lines to other Ukrainian nuclear plants were also affected. The agency is actively monitoring the developments to assess their impact on nuclear safety.
The power loss occurred amid reports of Russian airstrikes on various Ukrainian regions, including the capital Kyiv. The strikes come as Ukraine faces a state of emergency in its energy sector. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed responsibility for launching “massive” strikes targeting Ukrainian military industrial sites, energy and transport infrastructure, ammunition depots, and drone production facilities.
The Chornobyl plant, located near the abandoned city of Pripyat in the northern Kyiv region, is infamous for the 1986 nuclear disaster, which led to the spread of radioactive material over a large area. The event resulted in the creation of a 30-kilometer exclusion zone to contain the contamination.