Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy system risks nuclear disaster: rights experts

This article is published in association with United Nations.

Independent UN human rights experts have warned of an escalating risk of nuclear disaster in Ukraine following Russia’s continued attacks on the country’s electrical infrastructure, with the most recent strike occurring on 17 November.  

 Their warning comes amid growing international concern about the vulnerability of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities which rely on a stable power grid to maintain critical safety systems. 

“The latest large-scale Russian missile attack on Ukraine’s electricity system has led to further significant damage to electric substations that are essential to the operation of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants,” the experts emphasised.

Severe damage, civilian casualties

The strikes occurred overnight and reportedly caused severe damage, power outages and civilian casualties. The timing of this attack raises additional concerns as Ukraine enters the winter months, when power demands typically surge.  

This latest assault came despite earlier warnings from 13 UN Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups, who had formally communicated with Moscow on 22 October about the prohibition of such attacks under international humanitarian law.  

Further, the attacks occurred despite earlier arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in June 2024 for high-ranking Russian government officials specifically related to strikes against Ukraine’s electric power infrastructure.

Adding to the nuclear safety concerns, the UN Human rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has documented extensive civilian harm from these long-range attacks on the power system.

 Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant concerns

The experts further recalled credible allegations of Russian forces subjecting staff at Europe’s biggest nuclear energy facility, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP),  to intimidation, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance and torture.  

“Having reportedly lost two-thirds of its power generation capacity, further damage to Ukraine’s electricity system could lead to an electricity blackout which would increase the risk of operating nuclear reactors losing access to the grid for powering their safety systems,” the experts cautioned.  

They warned that such a scenario could trigger a nuclear disaster potentially exceeding both the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi accident in Japan and the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine.  

While the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) agreed to expand its mission to Ukraine to include inspection of electric substations, progress has been limited.  

“Despite the urgency of the situation, full implementation of an expanded monitoring mission had yet to be announced by the IAEA,” the experts noted. Only one mission was completed in October 2024, with no subsequent missions scheduled.  

Stop attacks, avert risk

“We reiterate our urgent appeal for Russian armed forces to immediately cease their attacks against Ukraine’s power generation plants, substations, transmission and distribution lines and other energy infrastructure and to avert the risk of nuclear disaster,” the experts concluded, emphasising the immediate need for action to prevent catastrophic consequences.

Independent experts are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor and report on specific country situations or thematic issues. They work on a voluntary basis, are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work.

Hostilities ongoing

Meanwhile, the UN humanitarian affairs office OCHA said attacks and hostilities across Ukraine continued over the weekend and on Monday

The attacks resulted in scores of casualties, including children, and significantly damaged civilian infrastructure, particularly in Kharkiv, in Odesa and Zaporizhzhia, according to local authorities and UN partners on the ground.

As a result of the damage, nearly 150,000 families, as well as hospitals, schools and businesses, are currently without heating in the Dnipro and Ivano-Frankivsk regions, where temperatures have dropped below zero degrees centigrade, OCHA said, citing local authorities.

Humanitarian organizations mobilized swiftly and provided emergency assistance in Kharkiv and Odesa, among other affected areas, delivering food, repair materials and psychosocial support.