Ukraine Warns Of Nuclear Risk To Europe Ahead Of Munich Security Conference

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Ukraine’s foreign minister has warned that intensified Russian attacks on his country’s energy infrastructure are creating a direct risk of a nuclear incident that could affect all of Europe.

Andrii Sybiha said in comments posted on social media platform X and monitored by Worthy News on Monday that recent strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid have forced the country’s three operational nuclear power plants to reduce output, trigger automatic safety shutdowns, or temporarily disconnect units.

“Each such situation is a direct threat,” Sybiha wrote, arguing that continued attacks on Ukraine’s nuclear energy system “put all of Europe at risk.”

Sybiha also said Russia had previously struck the protective New Safe Confinement structure at the Chornobyl nuclear site with drones. The structure covers Reactor No. 4 of the former Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, where an explosion and fire on April 26, 1986 — caused by a flawed reactor design and operator errors — triggered the world’s worst nuclear disaster, contaminating large parts of Europe

IAEA DOCUMENTS SECURITY CONCERNS

The minister further noted that Russian forces occupied the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) after launching their full-scale invasion in February 2022 — the first time in history a nuclear facility has been seized during active warfare — and accused Moscow of turning it into a military base while creating ongoing safety risks.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has previously documented drone flyovers near the Rivne and Khmelnytskyi nuclear plants, describing them as significant security concerns. Sybiha said no nuclear accident has occurred so far “only thanks to the professionalism of Ukrainian nuclear energy workers.”

He added that the Rivne plant lies roughly 135 kilometers (about 84 miles) from the European Union and NATO borders, warning that a potential incident could have cross-border consequences.

Moscow has denied deliberately targeting civilian nuclear infrastructure and has previously accused Kyiv of staging provocations near nuclear facilities.

SECURITY DEBATE HEADS TO MUNICH

Kyiv is calling for additional sanctions against Russia’s state nuclear agency Rosatom, amendments to the IAEA statute proposed by Ukraine, and enhanced air defense systems to protect nuclear facilities from aerial strikes.

Sybiha’s remarks come ahead of the 62nd Munich Security Conference in Germany, where officials from more than 100 countries are expected to discuss the war in Ukraine and broader European security concerns.

Ahead of the gathering, former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi argued that Europe must deepen defense and economic cooperation to respond to a shifting global order and reduce overdependence on traditional security arrangements, including reliance on the U.S.-led NATO military alliance.

The developments highlight ongoing concerns that the war in Ukraine carries not only military and humanitarian consequences but also broader risks for European energy security and nuclear safety.

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