IAEA reports on aftermath of drone attacks on Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant substations

Two substations, Luch and Raduha, have been destroyed in the city of Enerhodar (Russian-occupied part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast) in drone attacks over the past week, leading to a prolonged blackout but not affecting the power supply to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). Source: Interfax-Ukraine news agency, citing the website of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Details: "As a result of recent days' damage to the electrical infrastructure, the IAEA was informed that Enerhodar had no electricity from around 8pm on Friday to noon on Saturday," the IAEA said.

The IAEA reported that a drone damaged one of the two transformers at the Raduha substation on Friday night, causing oil to leak out.

Another substation in Enerhodar, Luch, was destroyed just a few days earlier, on Wednesday, 19 June. The organisation explained that after the Luch substation, which supplies electricity to part of Enerhodar and other areas, was destroyed, it was partially replaced by the Raduha substation before it sustained damage. The power supply to Enerhodar was restored using its backup transformer.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi noted that the situation further boosted his concerns about the fragility and vulnerability of Ukraine's electricity infrastructure, which is also crucial for nuclear and radiation safety, even though the power supply to the six Zaporizhzhia NPP reactors was not affected this time.

The plant is continuing to receive the electricity needed to cool the shutdown reactors from the last 750kV main power line and the last 330kV backup power line. However, the accident at the Raduha substation affected the power supply to the industrial zone adjacent to the plant, as well as stopped the operation of the plant's transport hub, water supply pump and some external radiological environmental monitoring stations. "Whoever is behind this, it must stop.

Drone usage against the plant and its vicinity is becoming increasingly more frequent. This is completely unacceptable and it runs counter to the safety pillars and concrete principles which have been accepted unanimously," Grossi said. During a Monday briefing at the Media Centre of Ukraine in Kyiv, Hryhorii Plachkov, former Chairman of Ukraine's State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate, commented on the damaged substation.

He stated that this situation could have negative consequences for the ZNPP, as it requires a stable electricity supply to meet its needs. Plachkov added that the situation at the ZNPP is not improving. Background:

As of June, Energoatom, Ukraine's state nuclear energy regulator, had direct losses exceeding UAH 210 billion (roughly US£5.1 billion) due to the Russian occupation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP.

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