Energy grid attacks risk nuclear disaster

Russia's missile blitz forces Ukraine to switch off plants

- Mark Reynolds

VLADIMIR Putin's assaults on Ukraine's power networks pose a major risk of triggering a nuclear disaster, Kyiv claimed yesterday.

A drone and missile blitz forced officials to take several nuclear power units off the grid on Monday., That raised the threat to the safety of the entire nuclear power sector, Kyiv's mission to the International Atomic Energy Agency claimed.

The Kremlin used more than 200 missiles and drones in the attack, Ukrainian officials alleged.

They warned yesterday: "The Russian Federation continues to deliberately target Ukraine's energy infrastructure, intending to disrupt the operation of the country's nuclear power plants which provide most of Ukraine's electricity.