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Update 328 - IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

International Atomic Energy Agency

17 November 2025
Vienna, Austria
/2025

Two Ukrainian nuclear power plants (NPPs) have been operating at reduced capacity for the past ten days after a military attack damaged an electrical substation critical for nuclear safety and security, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.

Substations are critical nodes in a country's electrical grid, serving as facilities where voltage levels are transformed and controlled to ensure reliable power transmission. For nuclear power plants (NPPs), they are indispensable for maintaining off-site power supplies that support safety systems and cooling functions, making their integrity vital for nuclear safety and security.

Following the latest military activity targeting a substation, during the night of 7 November, the Khmelnitskyy and Rivne NPPs were each disconnected from one of their two 750 kilovolt (kV) power lines. In addition, the grid operator ordered a reduction in electricity output of some of their reactors.

Today, although one of the affected lines has since been restored, the other remains out of service. Three reactors continue to operate at limited power, at the request of the grid operator.

"Reliable off-site power is vital for the maintenance and operation of nuclear safety functions. To this end, Agency experts will, through dedicated expert missions, continue to assess the functionality of substations critical for nuclear safety and security," Director General Grossi said.

The Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) remains connected to the grid after repairs carried out under the protection of IAEA-brokered localized ceasefires in late October and ten days ago.

Ending a month-long outage of off-site power, this has allowed the resumption of maintenance of the plant's safety systems.

However, one of the two off-site power lines that were re-connected thanks to the recent repairs - the 750 kilovolt (kV) Dniprovska line - was again disconnected on Friday evening after the actuation of a protection system. The cause is still being investigated. The IAEA is engaging with both sides to assist in the timely restoration of the line, Director General Grossi said.

The IAEA continues to implement its comprehensive programme of assistance to Ukraine in nuclear safety and security.

As part of the programme, the IAEA completed partial deliveries of items to the Joint Stock Company Mykolaivoblenergo consisting of electrical cabinets, circuit breakers surge arresters and similar items needed to maintain a reliable power supply for the safe operation of Ukraine's NPPs. Additional items, that are still in production, will be delivered in the coming months. These deliveries were possible with the support from Austria, France, Germany, Italy and the European Union.

In addition, the South Ukraine NPP received 12 gamma dose rate monitoring stations intended to enhance its radiation monitoring capability. The stations, once in operation, will feed also the IAEA's International Radiation Monitoring Information System (IRMIS) with monitoring data, providing information on the radiological situation on the ground in the plant's normal operation and during an accident. The delivery was supported by the European Union.

Ukraine's Central Enterprise for the Management of Radioactive Waste received IT equipment and the Chornobyl NPP received an off-road vehicle. Both deliveries were funded by the United Kingdom and aimed at enhancing nuclear security measures at the two sites.

These deliveries brought the total organised during the conflict by the IAEA to 174, amounting to over €20.5 million.