All Ukrainian nuclear power units almost restored their capacity - IAEA

In its statement, the IAEA noted that all power units at the Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, and South Ukraine nuclear plants are once again operating at full capacity. Electricity production at the stations has largely recovered after the Russian attacks on the energy system.

"This week at Ukraine’s three operating nuclear power plants - Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine - electricity output has largely returned to normal after last week’s military attacks on the electrical grid. Nearly all power units are now operating at full capacity, with only one unit remaining at reduced power. Additionally, the high-voltage power lines lost during the attacks have all been restored," said IAEA director general Rafael Grossi.

According to him, following several long-lasting Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy system, the IAEA will dispatch a mission to inspect several substations critical for the operation of nuclear power plants. Damage to these facilities could seriously affect NPP performance and nuclear safety. This will be the Agency’s sixth such mission.

On 20 November, Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy officially reported that Ukrainian nuclear power plants had recently been forced to significantly reduce output. This happened due to Russian attacks on power transmission systems and the need to implement preventive measures during a heightened threat.

After that, the IAEA officially confirmed that following the 19 November strike, three Ukrainian nuclear plants were forced to cut electricity generation and described the situation as troubling.

Earlier, the Khmelnytskyi and Rivne nuclear power plants had already reduced output. This occurred after Russian forces damaged a key substation on 17 November.