UN Nuclear Watchdog Addresses Ukraine’s Nuclear Safety Risks Amid Russian Strikes

The U.N. atomic watchdog’s board convened a special session on Friday to address the escalating risks to nuclear safety in Ukraine. This meeting comes amid growing concerns that relentless Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure could lead to a nuclear accident.

Initiated by the Netherlands and supported by 11 other nations—including Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Portugal, Romania, and the United Kingdom—the urgent gathering of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board of governors aims to amplify diplomatic pressure on Russia. While the meeting will not yield any binding resolutions, its significance lies in raising awareness of the situation.

According to Netherlands Ambassador Peter Potman, Russia’s “ongoing and daily” assaults on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have inflicted severe damage. He emphasized that these attacks not only leave millions of Ukrainians without heat and electricity during a harsh winter but also jeopardize nuclear safety, bringing the risk of a nuclear accident alarmingly close to reality.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi echoed these concerns, stating that damage to electrical substations “undermines nuclear safety and must be avoided.” Although nuclear power plants generate energy, they depend on a consistent supply of external power to maintain reactor cooling. In the event of a sudden power loss, emergency diesel generators can provide backup. However, if these generators fail, the risk of a nuclear meltdown significantly increases.

Ukraine is home to four nuclear power plants, three of which are under Kyiv’s control. The largest, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, has been occupied by Russian forces since the early days of Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Additionally, Ukraine houses the former Chernobyl plant, the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster in 1986.

As Grossi noted, an IAEA expert mission is currently assessing 10 critical electrical substations in Ukraine amid ongoing strikes on the country’s power infrastructure. This mission aims to evaluate the impact of the attacks on nuclear safety.

Ukrainian Ambassador Yurii Vitrenko emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that it is “high time” for the IAEA to focus on the threats to nuclear safety and security in Europe posed by Russia’s “systematic and deliberate destruction” of Ukrainian energy infrastructure. He expressed appreciation for U.S. President Donald Trump’s “personal efforts” to mitigate the energy crisis caused by Russian aggression and voiced hope for tangible results from these initiatives.

As of Friday, the specifics of a Russian commitment to Trump to temporarily cease bombardments during one of Ukraine’s bleakest winters remained unclear.

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The Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Outrider Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For additional coverage of the nuclear landscape, visit this link.

Photograph: The flag of the International Atomic Energy Agency flies in front of its headquarters during an IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna, Austria, on Feb. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Heinz-Peter Bader, File)

Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Topics
Russia

The U.N. atomic watchdog’s board convened a special session on Friday to address the escalating risks to nuclear safety in Ukraine. This meeting comes amid growing concerns that relentless Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure could lead to a nuclear accident.

Initiated by the Netherlands and supported by 11 other nations—including Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Portugal, Romania, and the United Kingdom—the urgent gathering of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board of governors aims to amplify diplomatic pressure on Russia. While the meeting will not yield any binding resolutions, its significance lies in raising awareness of the situation.

According to Netherlands Ambassador Peter Potman, Russia’s “ongoing and daily” assaults on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have inflicted severe damage. He emphasized that these attacks not only leave millions of Ukrainians without heat and electricity during a harsh winter but also jeopardize nuclear safety, bringing the risk of a nuclear accident alarmingly close to reality.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi echoed these concerns, stating that damage to electrical substations “undermines nuclear safety and must be avoided.” Although nuclear power plants generate energy, they depend on a consistent supply of external power to maintain reactor cooling. In the event of a sudden power loss, emergency diesel generators can provide backup. However, if these generators fail, the risk of a nuclear meltdown significantly increases.

Ukraine is home to four nuclear power plants, three of which are under Kyiv’s control. The largest, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, has been occupied by Russian forces since the early days of Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Additionally, Ukraine houses the former Chernobyl plant, the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster in 1986.

As Grossi noted, an IAEA expert mission is currently assessing 10 critical electrical substations in Ukraine amid ongoing strikes on the country’s power infrastructure. This mission aims to evaluate the impact of the attacks on nuclear safety.

Ukrainian Ambassador Yurii Vitrenko emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that it is “high time” for the IAEA to focus on the threats to nuclear safety and security in Europe posed by Russia’s “systematic and deliberate destruction” of Ukrainian energy infrastructure. He expressed appreciation for U.S. President Donald Trump’s “personal efforts” to mitigate the energy crisis caused by Russian aggression and voiced hope for tangible results from these initiatives.

As of Friday, the specifics of a Russian commitment to Trump to temporarily cease bombardments during one of Ukraine’s bleakest winters remained unclear.

___

The Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Outrider Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For additional coverage of the nuclear landscape, visit this link.

Photograph: The flag of the International Atomic Energy Agency flies in front of its headquarters during an IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna, Austria, on Feb. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Heinz-Peter Bader, File)

Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Topics
Russia