An IAEA team is criss-crossing Ukraine this month to assess the status of electrical substations critical for nuclear safety and security, following recent military attacks targeting energy infrastructure, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.

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The 1-12 December visit will focus on more than ten substations – essential nodes in the electrical grid related to the nuclear power plants (NPPs) – to assess the damage, review repair efforts, and identify practical steps to strengthen the resilience of off-site power supplies to the country’s NPPs, three of which are still operating to generate electricity. 

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It is the latest of several such expert missions since September last year, when the substations became increasingly affected by the military conflict. 

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“These substations are essential for nuclear safety and security. They are absolutely indispensable for providing the electricity all nuclear power plants need for reactor cooling and other safety systems. They are also needed to distribute the electricity that they produce to households and industry,” Director General Grossi said.

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Previous IAEA missions to the substations have highlighted a continued degradation of the grid and increased challenges to the transmission infrastructure. Substations serve as facilities where voltage levels are transformed and controlled for reliable power transmission. The IAEA continues to monitor the situation from a nuclear safety and security perspective.

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Last week, another IAEA team completed a comprehensive safety assessment of the New Safe Confinement (NSC) at the Chornobyl site, which was severely damaged in a drone strike in February. This event also caused a major fire in the outer cladding of the massive steel structure built to prevent any radioactive release from the reactor destroyed in the 1986 accident.

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The mission confirmed that the NSC had lost its primary safety functions, including the confinement capability, but also found that there was no permanent damage to its load-bearing structures or monitoring systems. 

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“Limited temporary repairs have been carried out on the roof, but timely and comprehensive restoration remains essential to prevent further degradation and ensure long-term nuclear safety,” Director General Grossi said. 

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Based on the mission findings, the IAEA recommends further restoration and protective work of the NSC structure, including humidity control measures and an updated corrosion monitoring programme, as well as an upgrade of an integrated automatic monitoring system for the shelter object structure built on top of the reactor immediately after the accident.

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In 2026, with support from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Chornobyl site will undertake additional temporary repairs to support the re-establishment of the NSC’s confinement function, paving the way for full restoration once the conflict ends.

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“The IAEA – which has a team permanently at the site – will continue to do everything it can to support efforts to fully restore nuclear safety and security at the Chornobyl site,” Director General Grossi said.

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As part of the comprehensive programme of assistance, the Agency arranged three new deliveries of equipment and supplies to Ukraine, bringing the total to 188 since the start of the conflict. The medical unit at the Chornobyl NPP site received medications and the Central Enterprise for Radioactive Waste Management received various personal protective equipment. The deliveries were supported with funds from the European Union and the United Kingdom.  

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With these deliveries the total value of the equipment and supplies, needed for nuclear safety and security, that reached Ukraine since the start of the armed conflict exceeds 21 million euros.

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Text Courtesy, IAEA