A nuclear research facility in Kharkiv temporarily lost external power following a Russian strike on a nearby electrical substation, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Thursday, March 19.
According to the IAEA, the subcritical Neutron Source Installation at the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology was disconnected from the power grid during the night of March 11-12 after the substation was damaged.
The facility remained without external electricity until March 13 and relied on emergency diesel generators during the outage, the agency said.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said the incident highlights ongoing risks to nuclear safety in Ukraine amid continued attacks on energy infrastructure.
Nuclear safety risks persist
The IAEA said the incident underscores the vulnerability of nuclear-related facilities to disruptions in off-site power supply caused by attacks on the energy grid.
“These episodes underscore how grid instability and the vulnerability of off-site power is affecting nuclear safety and security,” Grossi said.
The agency also reported similar concerns at other sites, including temporary power disruptions affecting the Chornobyl nuclear power plant in recent weeks.
Previous damage to neutron source facility
The Kharkiv-based neutron source facility was previously damaged during Russian attacks earlier in the full-scale invasion.
On June 25, 2022, Russian strikes hit the site’s buildings and infrastructure, though radiation levels remained within normal limits, according to Ukrainian authorities at the time.