From December 1 to 12, an IAEA team is conducting visits across Ukrainian territory to inspect the condition of electrical substations that supply power to nuclear power plants. The assessment is necessary after recent attacks on energy infrastructure, which resulted in damage to the NSC at the Chornobyl NPP. This is reported by UNN with reference to the IAEA.
Details
IAEA representatives plan to inspect more than ten substations related to the operation of nuclear power plants to determine the extent of damage, assess repairs, and develop proposals to strengthen the resilience of the energy system. Three Ukrainian nuclear power plants continue to operate.
This is not the first such mission — such inspections have been ongoing since September last year.
These substations are vital for nuclear safety and security. They are absolutely indispensable for providing electricity to all nuclear power plants, which is necessary for cooling reactors and other safety systems. They are also necessary for distributing the electricity they produce to households and industry.
Another group of IAEA experts completed an inspection of the arch structure erected over the destroyed fourth power unit of the Chornobyl NPP to isolate it as part of safety measures. It was damaged in February after a drone attack. The mission found that the structure had lost its main safety functions, but no fundamental damage to the load-bearing elements was found.
Grossi noted that temporary repairs have already been carried out.
Limited temporary repairs have been carried out on the roof, but timely and comprehensive restoration remains important to prevent further degradation and ensure long-term nuclear safety.
In 2026, with the support of the EBRD, a new stage of temporary work is planned to partially restore the functions of the NSC.
At the same time, the IAEA handed over three more batches of equipment and materials to Ukraine, including medicines and protective equipment for the Chornobyl site, as part of a comprehensive assistance program. The total number of deliveries since the beginning of the invasion has reached 188, and their value has exceeded 21 million euros.
The IAEA, whose team is constantly on site, will continue to do everything possible to support efforts aimed at fully restoring nuclear safety at the Chornobyl site.
Recall
A Russian attack drone with a high-explosive warhead damaged the protective shelter at the Chornobyl NPP. The fire was extinguished, the radiation background did not change, but the damage to the shelter is estimated to be significant.