Anna Hartz
War often damages more than buildings and roads. It also puts critical infrastructure at risk, including systems that are meant to protect millions of people from long-term danger.
In Ukraine, the fighting has repeatedly raised fears about energy security and nuclear safety. Those fears grew again this week after new attacks struck key power facilities.
All External Electricity Lost
The Chernobyl nuclear power plant has lost all external electricity supplies following heavy military action early Tuesday morning, reports Digi24. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed the outage in a statement posted online. The agency said several Ukrainian substations that play an important role in nuclear safety were damaged during the attacks. Power lines supplying other nuclear plants in Ukraine were also affected.
Chernobyl no longer produces electricity, but it still needs power to keep spent nuclear fuel cool and to maintain safety systems. Losing external power does not mean an immediate nuclear emergency. Still, it increases risks and forces reliance on backup generators, which are not meant to operate for long periods.
The power loss came during a large Russian drone and missile strike across Ukraine. Ukrainian officials said the attack caused widespread damage to the energy network. In Kyiv, electricity and heating were cut to thousands of homes during one of the coldest days of the winter.
Affected Nearly Half of Kyiv
City authorities said more than 5,600 residential buildings in the capital were left without heat overnight. Nearly half of Kyiv was affected. Temperatures dropped to minus 14 degrees Celsius, making the outages especially dangerous for families, older residents, and hospitals.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said some of the missiles used in the attack were manufactured this year. He shared that information after holding an emergency meeting with energy officials. He warned that Russia continues to target civilian infrastructure as part of its strategy.
The IAEA said it is closely monitoring the situation at Chernobyl and other nuclear facilities. The agency stressed that stable electricity supply is essential for nuclear safety, even at sites that are no longer operating reactors. It also repeated its calls for restraint and protection of nuclear-related facilities.
For many Ukrainians, the attack was another night spent in the dark and cold. For safety experts, it was a reminder that modern warfare can threaten systems far beyond the battlefield. Each strike on power infrastructure brings risks that do not stop at national borders.
Sources: Digi24
