VIENNA, Nov 16 Kyiv told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) about disconnecting a number of nuclear power plants in western Ukraine from the power grid, where, as planned, experts from the agency were supposed to arrive in November and December, said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.
Earlier Wednesday, Grossi said that the agency's experts would arrive in November and December at four Ukrainian nuclear power plants, including Yuzhno-Ukrainian, Khmelnytsky, Rivne, and Chernobyl. These missions will be sent at the request of Kyiv.
«The Ukrainian Khmelnytsky Nuclear Power Plant (KhNPP) lost access to the electricity grid yesterday due to military attacks in the country, forcing it to temporarily rely on diesel generators as a backup power source, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi (IAEA) said today, citing information received by him from the Ukrainian authorities,» the statement published on the IAEA website says.
Khmelnitsky NPP, according to the Ukrainian side, was disconnected from the network missile strikes against the country's energy infrastructure».
«Another nuclear power plant, also located in western Ukraine — Rivne — lost connection with one of its 750 kV transmission lines yesterday afternoon. As a result, the plant reduced its power, and one of its four units automatically turned off. Today at 04:00, the plant increased power one more unit of its own in order to continue supplying electricity to the Ukrainian grid,» the message on the IAEA website says.
On Tuesday, an air alert was announced almost throughout Ukraine. The strikes were reported in Kyiv, as well as in Kharkiv, Lvov, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytsky, Rivne, Sumy and other regions. Emergency power outages began throughout the country.
The deputy head of Zelensky's office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, called the situation in Ukraine after the new missile strikes critical. Zelensky himself said that 85 missile strikes were carried out across the country, mainly on energy facilities. According to Energy Minister German Galushchenko, on November 15, the energy system was subjected to the most massive missile attack since the start of the Russian special operation. , Ukrainian special services are standing. The strikes are carried out on energy, defense industry, military command and communications facilities throughout the country. Since then, air alerts have been issued in Ukrainian regions every day, sometimes throughout the country.
Vladimir Zelensky said on November 1 that about 40% of the energy infrastructure in Ukraine was damaged — primarily power plants, which led to massive power outages. Against this background, power outage schedules were introduced in the country, citizens were urged to save energy.