Russia could provoke emergency at nuclear power plant – Ukrainian Energy Minister
Photo: Russians could provoke an emergency at a nuclear power plant (Getty Images)
Strikes by Russia against Ukraine's energy sector could provoke an emergency at nuclear power plants. And the Russian military is aware of this, stated the Minister of Energy of Ukraine German Galushchenko.
Further Russian strikes on Ukraine's power grid could lead to an emergency at one of the three operating nuclear power plants still controlled by Kyiv.
Galushchenko said that Russian strikes are bringing nuclear risks closer to Ukraine's borders with the European Union.
“They know exactly what they’re doing. It’s not accidental that they are attacking substations critical for nuclear safety,” Galushchenko said.
The Minister explained that substations ensure stability by regulating the transmission of high-voltage electricity. Unlike fossil or renewable energy sources, nuclear power plants require a constant flow of electricity to maintain safety systems.
Without this, the fuel in the reactor core can overheat, which, in turn, can lead to uncontrolled and dangerous radiation releases.
There are thousands of power substations in Ukraine, but ten key nodes connected to nuclear power plants are at risk. Their destruction could plunge the country into darkness and trigger a radiation emergency.
Yesterday, the United States announced that it would provide financial support to Ukraine. This time, the amount of assistance will be over $700 million, and a significant portion of these funds will be used to restore the energy sector.
The last major attack on the Ukrainian energy sector took place on 26 August. Then the Russian army attacked facilities in 15 regions of Ukraine.
Read more about the consequences of the large-scale attack in the material by RBC-Ukraine.
The government has already warned that Russia is preparing for new attacks on Ukraine's energy sector.
