This winter, Moscow's new attack on Ukraine's power infrastructure has strengthened scrutiny of Ukraine's Ministry of Energy, which did not protect the most important energy facilities in the country near the nuclear power plant.
Despite more than a year of warning that the site is vulnerable to potential Russian attacks, the Ministry of Energy failed to act quickly, so the current and former Ukrainian officials said to AP communication. 。
The two years of punishing Russian strikes against the power network depend on nuclear power for more than half of the power generation.
Especially vulnerable is an unprotected nuclear switch yard outside the boundary of the three functional nuclear power plants, which is important to transmit power from the reactor to other areas of the country.
“Switch yards that process electricity routing from nuclear power plants are an important factor in Ukraine's nuclear energy -in -frustration. Divides home, school, hospital, and other important private infrastructure. Ukraine's nuclear energy. Considering the dependence of, these military attacks on switch yards are devastating, have a serious impact on the life of civilians, and impair the energy grid resilience. ” Director Mercy R. Fowler said. NGO PAX SAPIENS program based in the United States focusing on reducing nuclear risks.
Analysts said that in the fall, Ukraine's Intelligence report warned of potential Russian strikes targeted by nuclear switch yards, and that it was done to be too late if the attack occurred.
“If two (nuclear switch yards) are hits, we have not supplied at least 30 to 36 hours. At least three weeks have a great restriction on energy supply,” said Oleksandr Kharchenko. I mentioned it. Ukrainian energy industry expert.
He said that it would take 3-5 weeks to transport and install new devices. He said that it was a miserable scenario for Ukraine people during the cold winter.
Even more worried, these nuclear switch yards have the second important features. Supply to nuclear power plants from off -site grids that are essential for cooling the reactor and the fuel used. Since the confusion can potentially spell out a disaster, the UN War and JMA has repeatedly warned since the Russian attack began in August.
The Ukrainian nuclear power plant has backed up an emergency power supply system, saying that they are “designed to provide temporary support,” said Fowler.
“The backup system alone is not enough to maintain business while stopping and prevent safety risks, without having the switch yard function.”
Last month, he said last month, the resolution calling for the removal of the Minister of Energy, Harman Harshenko, could not protect these sites.
A dissatisfied list that accused Harushenko for insufficient monitoring in the systematic corruption and the inadequate monitoring of the energy department must still be voted by Congress.
Delaying of nuclear switch yard enhancement
Russian attacks in November and December were dangerously approaching the country's nuclear power plants, generating five of the nine -operated nuclear reactors, reducing power generation. The attack did not attack the nuclear switch yard about 0.5 miles away from the reactor site, but it was surprisingly close.
The Tasks, which constructed both nuclear and non -nuclear energy transmission substations, were supervised by the Ministry of Energy and fell to state and private companies.
A three -layer fortress has been ordered. Following that, cement varieties that can withstand drone attacks and cement varieties that are the most expensive and less -iron and steel structure continue.
Following the government ordinance in July 2023, many of the energy companies in the state have immediately signed a contract to build the first and second layers for the most important power facilities. In the spring of 2024, the government repeated urgent calls to accomplish work.
However, under the responsibilities of Ukrainian's nuclear power company Energoatom, nuclear switch yards did not issue a contract to build two -layer concrete fortress until this fall.
To that time, UKRenerGo, a state -of -the -art energy company that manages high -voltage substations that transmit power from the reactor to grid, had already completed 90 % of 43 sites.
According to AP's documents, the bid process of two nuclear power plants, Khmelnytskyi and Mykolaiv, has just begun in early October. The bidding at the RIVNE nuclear power plant was even after the end of November.
According to the contract document, it is not expected that the construction will be completed until 2026.
Warning chorus is ignored
Concerns about delays have been repeatedly raised last year in closed -door meeting and letters sent to energy staff, and three current and former government officials speak to the AP and discuss the anonymity that discusses the ministry of energy. I talked.
“I wrote this problem several times in the Energy Ministry of Energy for the past 12 to 14 months.” One Volodymyr Kudrytskyi said. It has been widely criticized for being politically motivated.
The Minister of Energy, Harshenko, has managed the situation and has allowed other projects to prioritize. This includes a lobby activity for the approval of Congress for the construction of a reactor, which costs up to 10 years.
A partner on the west side of Ukraine also has an important infrastructure of “all”, according to the two west diplomats on western fiscal support on the energy department of the country on the condition of anonymous to discuss this issue. I was repeatedly told that I was protected.
The Ministry of Energy and Energit, Hal Shinko, quoted the sensitivity of the problem and did not respond to the request of AP about delays. Haluschenko also did not comment on the parliamentary resolution calling for his expulsion.
Again in summer and December, Ukraine has internationally alerted for nuclear infrastructure and a potential Russian attack that compromises nuclear safety.
In mid -December, it was regarded as an indispensable nuclear security in Ukraine, and was attacked a month before the possibility of nuclear emergency situation, so that an extraordinary session of an international atomic energy agency was convened.
In December, the United Nations Wara -Production Agency dispatched a team to the electricity substation of Kumernitski, Livine, and Southern Ukraine in Ukraine, recorded damage, and emphasizes the vulnerabilities of the electricity network as a result of the attack. Rapael Glosso, the director of the institution, said. January statement.
“These attacks affect grid's stability, risk the reliability of off -site power supply, and cause the risk of nuclear safety,” Glosso states, owned by Europe's largest Russia. We warned similar concerns at the Zapolisian factory.
With the existence of the IAEA test team, some of the Ukrainian governments have believed that the country's nuclear land was off -rate for Russian attacks, and Ukraine officials were anonymous to speak frankly about delays. Requested.
However, it has been proved to be a major miscalculation.
“Why didn't they react?” Kudrytskyi, a former Ukrenergo director, said that the Ministry of Energy could not respond quickly to a series of warnings. “I have no answer to it.”
