VIENNA, Feb. 13– The military activities in Ukraine are undermining local grid conditions, posing “ever-present risks” to nuclear safety and security, the United Nations nuclear watchdog said on Thursday.
Over the past weekend, operations of nuclear power plants (NPPs) were impacted by military activities. All reactor units across Ukraine, except for one, had to reduce power, and several off-site power lines were disconnected, said a statement issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
All Ukrainian NPPs reported multiple drones and a cruise missile within their monitoring areas, and the IAEA team at the Khmelnytsky NPP also heard military activity, it added.
“Such events in Ukraine are becoming all too common with each one reminding us of the ever-present risks to nuclear safety and security arising from deteriorating grid conditions,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said in the statement.
Grossi called for maximum military restraint from all sides, warning that no one benefits from a nuclear accident.
