'Russian terror puts all of Europe at risk of a nuclear incident' — Ukraine's Foreign Minister
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha (photo: Getty Images)
Russia is deliberately attacking Ukraine's energy system, forcing nuclear power plants to operate in critical modes and creating a direct risk of a large-scale nuclear accident for all of Europe, according to Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
Read also: Overnight Russian attack forces Ukraine's nuclear plants to cut generation
Risks to nuclear facilities
The minister said that due to systematic Russian strikes, three operating Ukrainian nuclear power plants have been forced to reduce output, with some reactor units disconnecting automatically.
The situation is further complicated by the constant presence of Russian drones flying over the sites of the Rivne and Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plants.
Sybiha explains that the situation remains under control only thanks to the professionalism of plant personnel, while Russia continues to deliberately escalate the threat.
"Russian terror puts all of Europe at risk of a nuclear incident—partners and media need to pay attention and act now to stop nuclear terrorists in Moscow," he said.
Appeal to international community
Ukraine is calling for stronger sanctions against Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom and for the provision of additional air defense systems. These measures are needed to protect critical energy hubs that ensure the stable operation of nuclear power plants.
"The world must pay attention to Russia's unacceptable and reckless behavior, putting hundreds of millions of Europeans at direct risk," the minister added.
February 7 attack on Ukraine's energy sector
During the night of February 7, Russian forces attacked Ukraine with more than 400 drones and around 40 missiles of various types. The primary targets were energy infrastructure, including power generation facilities and distribution substations.
Several regions reported damage, injuries, and widespread emergency power outages. Western regions were hit hardest, particularly the Khmelnytskyi, Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Lviv regions.
According to the Ministry of Energy, Russians carried out a massive strike on key energy facilities, including main substations, transmission lines, and thermal power plants. Ukraine requested emergency assistance from Poland.
Experts say Russia altered its tactics during the attack, seeking to disrupt electricity transmission from western regions to eastern Ukraine. As a result of the overnight strike, all Ukrainian nuclear power plants were forced to cut electricity generation.
