Russia Strikes Substation Vital to Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Plant

Out of 289 Russian drones sent across Ukraine during a massive attack on its energy infrastructure, three were sent toward a substation vital to the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant. Another 17 ballistic missiles and 59 cruise missiles were launched across Ukraine during the attack, Ukraine’s Minister of Energy Denys Shmyhal said on Tuesday, Nov. 3, during a meeting with the ambassadors of the Group of Seven (G7) and EU.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “Such actions pose a threat not only to Ukraine but to the nuclear safety of all of Europe. This is a serious step of escalation,” Shmyhal said, noting that Kyiv had already informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Warnings over nuclear safety Shmyhal urged Ukraine’s international partners to respond appropriately to Russia’s escalating attacks on infrastructure that keeps the country’s nuclear power plants running safely. The Khmelnytskyi plant, located in western Ukraine, operates two reactors with a combined capacity of about 2,000 megawatts (MW). Two additional reactors were started during the Soviet era, but were never finished. Because Russian strikes have damaged or destroyed many of the country’s coal, gas and hydroelectric power plants, nuclear plants are now vital to Ukraine’s electricity. While Ukrainian-controlled nuclear plants themselves have not been hit directly in the latest strikes, the substations and power lines that send their electricity into the grid have been targeted. Other Topics of Interest Nord Stream Trial: A Ukrainian Defendant and the Limits of Wartime Justification Treating Nord Stream as a military objective would require accepting the same reasoning when assessing Russian strikes on Ukrainian facilities. When Russia strikes and damages such equipment, the plants are not able to deliver all the power they produce, which forces reactors to cut output for safety reasons. Power grid hit again Energy facilities were once again Russia’s main target, Shmyhal said, with strikes aimed at power plants and at substations used to transmit and distribute electricity. Earlier in the day, state-owned operator Ukrenergo described the assault as one of the most extensive Russia has carried out against Ukraine’s energy sector. According to the company, its facilities had been targeted more than 20 times within 24 hours, causing significant damage and further straining an already fragile power system. Ukrenergo introduced emergency blackouts in several regions, including Kyiv. Thousands of repair crews have been working since the overnight strikes to assess the damage and restore supply, with critical infrastructure given priority for reconnection. Around the same time, Private energy company DTEK reported three of its thermal power plants had been taken fully out of operation as a result of the attack. Water supplies targeted Beyond the damage to the power grid, Ukrainian citizens are also facing disruptions to other essential services, including water supplies, which were cut off in parts of the country as key facilities lost power. The attacks come as Ukraine approaches its fifth winter of full-scale war, with authorities warning that Russia intends to increase its campaign on critical infrastructure. Such attacks could amount to crimes against humanity, according to a recent UN report. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.