UN nuclear watchdog discusses risks to Ukraine’s nuclear safety

Vienna: The UN atomic watchdog’s board held a special session Friday to discuss risks to nuclear safety in Ukraine as concerns mount that relentless Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure pose an increasing danger of a nuclear accident. The urgent meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s board of governors was held at the request of the Netherlands with support from 11 other countries, diplomats said — Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Portugal, Romania and the United Kingdom. Though it won’t produce any binding outcome, the aim is to increase diplomatic pressure on Russia.

Russia’s “ongoing and daily” attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in recent weeks have caused significant damage, Netherlands Ambassador Peter Potman told the board.

“Not only does this leave millions of Ukrainians in the cold and dark during a very harsh winter, but it is also negatively impacting nuclear safety in Ukraine, bringing the prospect of a nuclear accident to the very precipice of becoming a reality,” he said.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said that damage to electrical substations “undermines nuclear safety and must be avoided.” Although nuclear power plants produce energy themselves, they rely on an uninterrupted supply of external power from electrical substations to ensure reactor cooling.