From December 17 to 22, 2024, a special IAEA monitoring mission continued its work at Ukrainian energy infrastructure facilities critical to NPP safety to document the damage and losses sustained by electrical substations during the massive combined missile attacks by the russian federation in November and December of this year.

Sustainable off-site power supply to NPPs is one of the key factors in ensuring nuclear safety of NPPs, which is recognized by the IAEA, supported by most member states and specified in the Resolution of the extraordinary IAEA Board of Governors meeting held in Vienna on December 12, 2024, at the request of Ukraine in connection with the continuation of targeted shelling of energy infrastructure by the russian federation.

IAEA experts accompanied by representatives of NPC Ukrenergo, JSC “NNEGC ‘Energoatom’ and SNRIU inspected electrical substations identified by the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine as key to NPP safety, examined and documented operational consequences of actual damage to the energy infrastructure that supplies power generated by NPPs to consumers and ensures power supply for NPPs' house loads.

“The issue of the importance of international monitoring of the status of electrical substations affecting the safety of nuclear power plants in the context of the full-scale military aggression of the russian federation against Ukraine was supported by the Heads of regulatory authorities of the member countries of the Western European association of nuclear regulatory authorities - WENRA, recorded in the Resolution of the extraordinary meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors and is increasingly recognized among the IAEA member countries. The work of the IAEA monitoring missions at electric substations will contribute to the timely identification of potential threats to the safety of nuclear facilities, as well as to the coordination of actions between Ukrainian organizations and international partners to mobilize and direct assistance in crisis situations”, said Oleh Korikov, SNRIU Chairman -Chief State Nuclear and Radiation Safety Inspector of Ukraine, during a joint meeting with the mission members at NPC Ukrenergo.

He also emphasized the important role of the IAEA Director General Mariano Grossi in making a timely and important decision to organize the permanent IAEA monitoring missions in Ukraine to support nuclear safety, security and ensuring safeguards, as well as reducing the risks of nuclear incidents in the challenging conditions of military aggression by the russian federation.