Russian missiles now target Ukraine's nuclear facilities - Financial Times
According to the Financial Times, in the nighttime massive Russian attack on Ukraine, the following were targeted substations that feed two Ukrainian nuclear power plants - Rivne NPP and Khmelnytsky NPP.
According to Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga, these are a planned operation that «deliberately endangers nuclear safety in Europe».
The attack involved approximately 45 cruise and ballistic missiles and 458 drones, The Ukrainian air defence forces shot down only nine missiles and 406 drones.
Why it matters
Nuclear power plants and their supporting infrastructure are critical to safety - damage to substations jeopardises their operation and can cause a man-made disaster.
This attack is an effort by Russia to «de-infrastructure» Ukraine and exert pressure through the energy system.
Ukraine calls on the international community, in particular the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to respond urgently to this threat.
What's next
Analysts note that such strikes change the nature of warfare - when energy and nuclear infrastructure is targeted, it increases the risk for both Ukraine and the whole of Europe. At the same time, Ukraine needs to Strong air defence systems, modernised energy grid and international assistance to protect these facilities.
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