Restoration of NPP capacity: why the IAEA is sending a sixth mission despite good news
28 November 2025 08:04
Ukrainian nuclear power plants under the control of Kyiv – Khmelnytsky, Rivne and South Ukrainian – have fully restored their power after Russian attacks on the energy sector. This was reported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which constantly monitors the situation at Ukrainian nuclear power plants, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
Despite the positive dynamics, international experts are in no hurry to relax their attention. The agency has announced that it will send its sixth mission to Ukraine to assess the condition of critical substations and risks to the stable operation of the power system.
What the IAEA said
According to the agency’s Director General Rafael Grossi, all power units at the three stations are operating at maximum capacity, except for one, which temporarily remains in reduced output mode.
In addition, all high-voltage power lines damaged during the recent strikes by the Russian occupation forces have been fully restored, a key factor for the stable operation of nuclear generation.
The IAEA confirms that the power system has regained the ability to receive the full amount of nuclear electricity produced.
Why did we have to reduce power before?
on November 20, the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine announced that nuclear power plants were forced to limit their operations. The reason was damage to the grid after the Russian attacks and preventive measures in case of new attacks.
After the shelling on November 19, the IAEA called the decline in production an “alarming signal” for nuclear safety and energy stability.
A similar situation had already occurred on November 17, when Khmelnytsky and Rivne NPPs also temporarily reduced the load on their power units due to the destruction of an important substation.
What comes next: another IAEA mission
As attacks on energy infrastructure continue, the IAEA is preparing another – its sixth – mission to Ukraine. Experts will visit several critical substations, the operation of which affects the stability of nuclear power plants and the safety of their power units.
After assessing the damage, the agency plans to provide recommendations to strengthen protection and stabilize the power system.
Nuclear power currently provides up to half of the country’s electricity, so its stable operation is key during the heating season. The restoration of NPP capacity means that Ukraine’s power system has returned to a more predictable mode after the recent attacks, but remains vulnerable to repeated shelling.
