- September 21, 2024
- 5:09 pm
- World News
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sybiha September 20, 2024 statedWhat Russia prepares strikes on critical nuclear power facilities in Ukraine ahead of winter.
He noted that “We are talking about open switchgear of nuclear power plants and transmission substations, which are critical for the safe operation of nuclear power”According to him, If such facilities are hit, it would create a “high risk of a nuclear incident that would have global consequences”In this regard, Ukrainian special services have already passed on relevant information to international partners and informed the IAEA.
Sybiha emphasized that Russia is the only country that has seized a nuclear power plant in Europe and is using this to blackmail the world community. The minister recalled that the Ukrainian “Formula of Peace” has a separate clause dedicated to ensuring radiation and nuclear safety. In his address to the international community, he called on “all international organizations and states that respect the UN Charter to prevent the scenario of a terrorist country.”
These threats raise serious concerns in the context of Russia’s long-term aggression against Ukraine and its strategic goal of destabilizing key infrastructure facilities, including energy facilities, which play a vital role in maintaining economic and social stability. The problem is compounded by the fact that attacks on energy infrastructure in winter could result not only in localized outages, but also in large-scale power outages, creating a real threat of a nuclear accident.
The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak also expressed his concerns about the upcoming strikes. He stated that “This is preparation for a possible nuclear catastrophe scenario” and emphasized that Russia must be stopped “here and now”. Yermak emphasized that Russia's attacks on nuclear power facilities concern not only Ukraine, but also global security, as the consequences could affect many countries. In this regard, he called on Western and Global South countries to “respond harshly to the preparation of terrorism,” which could have far-reaching consequences.
On September 19, 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine held a joint briefing for representatives of foreign diplomatic missions and international organizations accredited in Ukraine. The topic of the briefing was Russia's attacks on energy infrastructure and their negative consequences for the civilian population. State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleksandr Bankov noted that “Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure create catastrophic consequences for critical infrastructure and the civilian population.” He emphasized that such actions pose a serious threat to Ukraine's national security and significantly increase the risk of a humanitarian catastrophe.
Particular attention at the briefing was paid to the fact that energy security is one of the key points in the “Peace Formula” proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Ukraine is actively working with international partners to implement this formula. In his speech, Bankov thanked foreign partners for their assistance, especially in the energy sector, and noted that Ukraine still urgently needs stable supplies of air defense systems and other defense equipment to protect its territory, citizens and key infrastructure facilities.
Danielle Bell, head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, presented a thematic report that talks about the systematic nature of Russia's attacks on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure. The document emphasizes that attacks on the country's energy system not only cause enormous damage to the civilian population, but also violate the basic principles of international humanitarian law. Bell noted that the scale of the attacks, their coordination and the precision of the use of weapons indicate that these are deliberate and targeted actions.
Thus, the situation around threats from Russia aimed at nuclear power facilities is becoming increasingly serious. The Ukrainian side, citing intelligence data, expresses concern about possible catastrophic consequences that could lead to a global crisis.
