Shmyhal informs head of IAEA about Russia's intentions to strike networks of nuclear power plants

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal informed the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, about the Russians' preparations for another massive attack on energy infrastructure, with possible strikes on facilities and networks that serve nuclear power plants.

According to Ukrinform, the Ministry of Energy reported this on its website.

"Following the discussion, the parties agreed in the near future to jointly hear reports from the heads of nuclear power plants and the leaders of IAEA missions working at the sites. They also discussed the need to organize an extraordinary meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors to assess the consequences of Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy system," the statement said.

In turn, Grossi reported that the Agency is preparing a report and a methodology for assessing the impact of Russian attacks on the operation of nuclear power plants.

"The continued presence of IAEA missions at Ukrainian energy facilities is of strategic importance for us. The IAEA is preparing a new mission of Agency experts to Ukrainian nuclear power plants, in particular the Zaporizhzhia NPP, as well as to substations whose operation affects the functioning of nuclear facilities," the Minister of Energy noted.

At the same time, he emphasized the inadmissibility of moving IAEA missions to the temporarily occupied regions of Ukraine through the territory of Russia.

The heads of the agencies also agreed on further coordination of actions to finance Ukraine's critical needs, the Ministry of Energy noted.

As reported, with the mediation of the International Atomic Energy Agency, repair work began on January 18 on the backup 330 kV power transmission line "Ferosplavna-1," which connects the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to Ukraine's energy system.

According to the Ministry of Energy, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian power engineers have restored the ZNPP power supply lines 42 times.