nuclear-news

Fears of ‘serious nuclear accident’ in Ukraine as atomic experts beg ‘stop’

The UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency is pleading with Russia and Ukraine to halt military operations at key nuclear facilities, fearing continued strikes could lead to a disaster

Ethan Blackshaw , , 07 Nov 2026,
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/nuclear-power-plants-ukraine-russia-37853621

Russia launched a fresh wave of strikes on Ukraine’s energy facilities overnight, with people in the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Kharkiv regions without power, according to Ukraine’s Energy Ministry.

Officials said there was “extensive damage” to transmission and distribution networks, while power lines that transmit electricity from nuclear power plants to Kyiv and central regions of Ukraine “were also damaged”. There was also an attack on the substations connecting the Rivne and Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plants, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

This follows the death of an employee at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant – Europe’s largest nuclear plant – following a strike in October. The Zaporizhzhia plant, in southern Ukraine, was the centre of intense fighting when Russia first invaded.

The UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is pleading with both sides of the conflict to halt military operations at nuclear sites, warning of the potential for a “serious nuclear accident”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi: “Military activity near Ukraine’s nuclear power sites is a stark reminder of the constant threats to nuclear safety and security. Plant personnel must be able to carry out their essential work without fear of attacks, including in the towns where they live.

“I once again call on all sides to exercise maximum military restraint and to refrain from attacks that could endanger nuclear facilities, their staff or the infrastructure essential to their safety.”

The IAEA said its team at the Zaporizhzhia plant “continues to hear explosions” following the death of the staff member on October 29. And in recent days, following reported strikes on substations, “grid instability also forced the temporary suspension of nuclear safety related activities at one nuclear facility and an unplanned power reduction at a different facility”.

Director General Grossi stressed a reliable external power supply is “essential for nuclear safety”. He added: “Every power line lost weakens a plant’s connection to the grid and increases the risk of a complete loss of off-site power.

“The power supply situation at Ukraine’s operating nuclear power plants must not be allowed to deteriorate to the level seen at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Attacks on infrastructure essential to nuclear safety must stop.”

The IAEA says a total of 123 air raid alerts were reported in the last week across the Khmelnytskyy nuclear power plant, Rivne nuclear power plant, South Ukraine nuclear power plant and Chernobyl nuclear power plant sites.

November 11, 2026 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, Ukraine