Russian missiles are targeting Ukraine’s nuclear infrastructure — FT

Russian missiles are now targeting Ukraine’s nuclear infrastructure.

This was reported by the Financial Times, citing sources.

The article cites as an example the missile attack on November 8. Citing its sources, the outlet claims that Russia struck substations that keep the Khmelnytskyi and Rivne nuclear power plants operating.

The article also quotes a statement by Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who called for an urgent IAEA meeting and urged nuclear powers, including China and India, to influence Russia.

It should be noted that strikes on NPP substations are the most dangerous scenario for Ukraine’s power system. Nuclear plants provide most of the country’s electricity generation. If the substations through which they distribute the electricity they produce are disabled for an extended period, the NPP units would have to be shut down, and Ukraine would face a huge electricity deficit that other generation (thermal and hydropower), as well as imports from Europe, could not cover. In that case, a total blackout could become a realistic scenario for Ukraine.

As a reminder, the substations feeding Ukraine’s NPPs—and critical for the country’s nuclear safety—were last shelled on October 30.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) accused the West of preparing a staged accident at the Zaporizhzhia NPP with a meltdown of the nuclear reactor cores in order to subsequently place the blame on Russia.