Russian drone flew critically close to Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant
Illustrative image (Getty Images)
Russia is stepping up its energy terror. Today, on October 28, a Russian drone of the Shahed type flew critically close to one of the power units of the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant, according to Energoatom energy company of Ukraine.
Russian provocation occurred at about 6 a.m. Kyiv time.
As Energoatom notes, with the onset of the autumn-winter period, the Russians are intensifying the energy terror of Ukrainian NPPs and creating new risks for the safe operation of nuclear facilities.
“Russia deliberately violates the principles of nuclear and radiation safety of nuclear power plants and resorts to outright terrorism. This must be stopped as soon as possible, because the consequences may be felt by the entire continent,” says Energoatom CEO Petro Konin.
Occupation of Zaporizhzhya NPP
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), located near the city of Enerhodar in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine, is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the plant has been under Russian occupation, which has significantly increased the risks to its safety and stable operation.
Russian troops regularly use the territory of ZNPP as a military base, which creates a risk of radiation incidents, as shelling of the surrounding area can damage the plant's facilities.
This October, for the second time in a month, ZNPP lost connection to its only 330 kilovolt (kV) backup power line.
