The threat of a second Chernobyl: why attacks on nuclear power plants pose a critical threat

The President of Ukraine and the State Security Service have announced the threat of Russia preparing strikes on substations related to nuclear power plants. If such attacks were carried out, they could lead to both a complete blackout and extremely dangerous consequences.

This was reported by technical blogger and consultant in the field of military radio technologies Sergey “Flash” Beskrestnov.

According to Beskrestnov, nuclear power plants are currently the only stable sources of electricity generation in Ukraine. That is why, if Russia seeks to completely cut off the country’s electricity supply, it may focus on attacks on facilities related to nuclear power plants.

“Nuclear power plants are now effectively the only sources of electricity generation in the country, and if the enemy wants to achieve a complete blackout, he will need to attack these facilities,” said Sergey “Flash” Beskrestnov.

He explained that next to each nuclear power plant there are substations and switching fields that divert the generated electricity and direct it to the power lines. These facilities are part of the critical infrastructure of the nuclear power plant.

“The substation and switching are sometimes a kilometer away from the reactors, and sometimes 300 meters away,” said Sergey “Flash” Beskrestnov.

According to the consultant, substations and switchyards can be located at different distances from the reactors. In some cases, they are located approximately 1 kilometer, and sometimes only 300 meters from the power units.

Beskrestnov also drew attention to the inaccuracy of Russian weapons, despite Russia’s claims of “super-accuracy.” He recalled cases where Kinzhal missiles, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles hit targets other than their intended targets.

“I really hope that the Russians will have the sense not to try to attack nuclear power plants, because a miss by an Iskander or a Dagger could turn into a second Chernobyl,” said Sergey “Flash” Beskrestnov.

He gave examples of strikes on Ternopil, when missiles hit a residential building instead of an industrial facility, as well as the destruction of residential buildings in Kyiv during the attack on the Luch Design Bureau. He separately mentioned drone attacks on hydroelectric power plants, when the strikes hit residential buildings in Vyshgorod.

It should be added that the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported that Russia is considering options for striking electricity transmission substations that support the operation of Ukrainian nuclear power plants. This is supposed to force Ukraine to sign unacceptable surrender demands and cause a power and heat cut for the civilian population.

By the way, Ukraine is currently unable to cover more than a third of its domestic electricity needs due to damage to the power system . Consumption reached 18 gigawatts the day before, while the system’s capacity is only 11 gigawatts.

It was previously reported that Ukraine’s energy system is in difficult conditions due to intensive Russian shelling and the most severe winter in 20 years . In connection with the emergency situation in the energy sector, the Government has identified a set of measures to overcome its consequences.

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