Two reactors at Khmelnytskyi NPP were shut down after Russian missile attacks
Khmelnytskyi NPP (Photo:RLuts via Wikipedia)
Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) had to shut down two of its reactors after Russia’s massive wave of missile strikes at Ukraine’s energy infrastructure interrupted KNPP’s power grid connection, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi said in statement on Nov. 16.
In a message posted on IAEA’s website, Grossi said KNPP had to rely on backup diesel generators for nine hours on Nov. 15.
“Yesterday Ukraine’s Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) lost all access to the electricity grid for more than nine hours due to military attacks in the country, forcing it to temporarily rely on diesel generators for back-up power,” the message said.
IAEA further noted that because of the shutdown, the power plant stopped generating and delivering electricity to consumers across Ukraine, further exacerbating the impact of Moscow’s attack.
“This was a very concerning development; it shows the potential nuclear safety and security risks facing all of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities during this terrible war, not just the (occupied) Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant,” Grossi added.
On Nov. 15, Russia launched its largest-yet attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, with nearly 100 cruise missiles targeting power generation and distribution facilities across the entire country.
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