Follow-up: Three Russian Drones Target Substation Critical to Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Plant: Ukraine Informs IAEA
Kyiv, Ukraine — Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal told ambassadors of the Group of Seven, the European Union and the Nordic-Baltic Eight on November 3 that during Russia's massive overnight strike on Ukraine's energy system, three drones were directed at a 750 kV substation critical to the stable operation of the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant, and that Ukraine has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The barrage comprised 289 drones, 17 ballistic missiles and 59 cruise missiles. Energy facilities in 10 Ukrainian regions were hit, three of the five thermal power plants run by private energy company DTEK halted generation, and emergency outages were imposed in Kyiv and other areas.
Shmyhal said such actions "pose a threat not only to Ukraine, but also to the nuclear safety of all Europe," calling the targeting a serious escalation step that Kyiv has reported to the IAEA, and called for an international response.
The extent of any damage to the substation has not been independently established, and there has been no confirmed report that the Khmelnytskyi plant lost off-site power or suffered an operational disruption. The plant stands near Netishyn in Khmelnytskyi region in western Ukraine and is one of Ukraine's operating nuclear power plants.
The safety of off-site power supplies to nuclear plants has been a recurring issue in the war. On October 13, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha announced an agreement with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi on monitoring missions to 19 substations deemed critical to nuclear safety. An attack in November 2025 cut one of the two 750 kV lines serving each of the Khmelnytskyi and Rivne plants, leaving both at reduced capacity for about 10 days.
Source: Ministry of Energy of Ukraine
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：乌克兰赫梅利尼茨基核电站（资料图）。摄影：alexndm，CC BY-SA 3.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine (file photo). By alexndm, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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- 2026-11-03Follow-up: Three Russian Drones Target Substation Critical to Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Plant: Ukraine Informs IAEAThis story
