Ukraine has shut down three out of nine nuclear power units for maintenance, says IAEA

Three out of the nine reactors at Ukrainian-controlled nuclear power plants (NPPs) are undergoing scheduled maintenance and refuelling. Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Details: IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi noted that maintenance and fresh fuel loading are being carried out at the Khmelnytskyi, Rivne and Pivdennoukrainsk NPPs.

The work is being carried out under the persistent threat of Russian attacks.

For instance, on 25 April, the IAEA team stationed at the Pivdennoukrainsk NPP learned that six drones had been spotted just 1.5 km from the facility, with Ukrainian air defence working to shoot them down. The IAEA team at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP have heard distant explosions throughout the past week, while the team at the Khmelnytskyi NPP was forced to take cover during an air raid on 30 April. Grossi also noted that a Russian drone strike pierced the roof of a major containment structure at the Chornobyl NPP on 14 February.

The structure was designed to prevent any release of radiation from the reactor destroyed in the 1986 disaster and to shield it from external threats.

He added that temporary repairs to the New Safe Confinement at the Chornobyl plant are underway. An IAEA team recently visited the site to discuss ongoing efforts to assess the building's structural integrity following the attack. Grossi confirmed that despite significant damage to the shelter, no radioactive release had occurred.

Earlier, Energoatom, Ukraine's state nuclear energy regulator, reported that repairs at all nine power units at the Khmelnytskyi, Rivne and Pivdennoukrainsk NPPs are due to be completed by the end of August. The total capacity of the nine power units is 7.88 GW. Six units with a capacity of 6,000 MW at Zaporizhzhia NPP have not been generating electricity since 11 September 2022.

Background: Earlier, it was reported that Energoatom made a net profit of UAH 1.3 billion (approx. US£31.2 million) in 2024. The company plans to use these funds to cover losses from previous years - for instance, it recorded a loss of UAH 11 billion (around US£264.6 million) in 2023 - and no dividends are being paid.

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