The Tactics Institute for Security and Counterterrorism condemns the continuous attacks by Moscow on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine, which has increased the likelihood of a nuclear accident manifold. The fresh warning by International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi has given an added impetus to urgent calls for international intervention to prevent a catastrophic nuclear disaster from turning into reality in Europe.

During his speech while in Kyiv on February 4, Grossi made a pressing concern over the risks of Russian missile and drone attacks on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine. Speaking from Kyivska electrical substation, a critical node in Ukraine’s power network, he warned that “a nuclear accident can result from a direct attack on a plant, but also from power supply disruption.” The IAEA’s assessment of the damage to infrastructure that supports Ukraine’s nuclear facilities reveals a worsening crisis exacerbated by Russia’s relentless assaults.

The Tactics Institute reiterates that a stable external power supply is essential for nuclear safety, and Russia’s systematic targeting of energy infrastructure places millions of lives at risk. Other than that, it will be an unprecedented consequence with reactor failures and a radiation leak, mainly because Ukraine depends on nuclear power for more than half of its electricity production.

The main security issue is still the Russian occupation of Europe’s largest nuclear facility, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). Since March 2022, Ukraine has seen multiple disconnections from the power grid for the plant, primarily as a result of continued attacks by Russian forces. The IAEA has maintained a rotating mission to the plant since September 2022, though experts at the agency remain vigilant in light of the worsening circumstances.

Tactics Institute appeals the international community: take decisive measures to ensure nuclear safety at the ZNPP, demand immediate cessation of any hostilities and attacks on installations with nuclear capacity, and finally, hold accountable Russia for egregious reckless endangering of global nuclear safety.

Repeated attacks against Ukraine’s power infrastructure will continue to increase the threat of a major nuclear disaster. It may cause meltdown of reactors and containment failure with a thorough spread of radioactive contamination leading to devastating effects from Ukraine to Europe to anywhere and everywhere else in between.

This attack by Russia on the critical infrastructure of Ukraine is in flagrant breach of international law, including Geneva Conventions that do not condone attacks on civilian infrastructure so critical to populations’ survival. The systematic bombardment of the energy grid in Ukraine is, therefore, both a war crime and a direct assault on the global nuclear security.

The Tactics Institute urges the UN Security Council, the European Union, and NATO to intensify diplomatic and economic pressure on Russia, ensuring that those responsible for these violations face accountability under international law.

The Tactics Institute calls for immediate reinforcement of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure through international aid and protective measures. Stronger sanctions against Russia targeting its military-industrial complex responsible for these attacks. Increased protection of nuclear facilities under the supervision of the IAEA and international peacekeeping forces. Greater diplomatic engagement to prevent further escalation and secure the withdrawal of Russian forces from Zaporizhzhia.