IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said the power grid was again the target of military activity last weekend, leading to significant impacts in several regions and on nuclear power plant operations.
Downed power lines
The fighting caused power lines linking Ukraine to neighboring countries to be disconnected, which in turn cut off supplies within Ukraine.
As a result, one unit at one nuclear power plant was disconnected from the grid due to fluctuations and automatically shut down, while other units at other power plants were forced to reduce their power.
He Chernobyl site – where the world’s worst nuclear disaster occurred in 1986 – experienced a complete loss of external power and relied on its emergency diesel generators for about an hour.
‘Always present risks’
“This latest grill event in Ukraine is a A stark reminder of the ever-present risks to nuclear safety arising from deteriorating grid conditions.”said Mr. Grossi.
He stressed that extensive repairs are needed to improve the reliability of power supply to nuclear power plants and strengthen their resilience.
“Once again, I call for maximum military restraint, as well as full observance of the Seven Indispensable Pillars to allow these essential repairs to be carried out.”
Seven security principles
The IAEA developed the seven pillars of nuclear security in Ukraine in March 2022, just weeks after the war began, the first time that an armed conflict has occurred in the midst of the facilities of a major nuclear energy program.
Measures include maintaining the physical integrity of the facilities, ensuring external power supply from the electrical grid, and implementing effective radiation monitoring systems.
Operational staff must also be able to fulfill their safety and security duties and make decisions without undue pressure.
Vital inspections
As military activity increases and impacts Ukraine’s power grid, Three IAEA teams carry out two-week mission visiting 10 critical substations for technological and physical nuclear security.
The goal is to assess ongoing damage to the grid, review repair efforts and identify practical measures to strengthen the resilience of the external power supply to nuclear power plants.
This is the second IAEA mission in as many months. A mission carried out last December confirmed the effects of cumulative impacts on nuclear power plant operations and staff conditions.
WHO calls for funding to protect healthcare
The World Health Organization (WHO) seeks $42 million in 2026 to help protect access to health care for 700,000 people in Ukraine, as the war enters its fifth year. The appeal aims to sustain emergency and trauma care, maintain essential primary services and support medical evacuations of patients requiring specialist treatment.
The ongoing hostilities continue to undermine the health system. Since the beginning of 2022, WHO has verified more than 2,800 attacks on healthcarewhile repeated attacks on energy infrastructure have disrupted power supplies, affecting hospitals and clinics across the country.
Health needs are also deepening. More than two-thirds of Ukrainians report poorer health than before the war, and mental health problems affect almost half of the population, according to WHO assessments. Despite the risks, health workers continue to provide care in front-line and hard-to-reach areas.
“Ukraine’s humanitarian health needs remain immense and the pressure on the health system continues unabated,” said Dr Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative in Ukraine, highlighting the importance of maintaining essential services as funding becomes increasingly limited.
Last year, WHO helped almost two million people access emergency care, medications and support, including through more than 1,200 medical evacuations from front line areas.