“Everyone will live as they can”: In the event of the simultaneous shutdown of two nuclear power plants in Ukraine, a blackout will occur, – expert says

A blackout in Ukraine is possible if Russian strikes lead to the shutdown of two nuclear power plants simultaneously, for example, due to an attack on distribution capacities.

This was stated by Yuriy Korolchuk, co-founder of the Institute of Energy Strategies.

“Technically, if such an event occurs, it would halt the operations of nuclear power plants. Even if a couple of missiles hit a cooling tower, theoretically chipping off a piece of concrete, the plant would already have to be shut down until the full extent of the damage and its causes are assessed. This would immediately lead to power outages. If this happens to two nuclear power plants, a blackout is possible. On the other hand, even if such strikes occur, repairs theoretically and practically could take one to two weeks. So, consider that during this time, everyone will have to live as best they can,” Korolchuk said.

It is worth noting that since September, Ukrainian authorities have been warning about potential Russian plans to target nuclear substations.

Additionally, Politico reported that the coming winter could be a pivotal moment for Ukraine due to the risk of losing its nuclear energy capabilities.