Main image: State Specialized Enterprise “Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant”
On September 30, Russia carried out a drone strike on the premises of the Institute for Nuclear Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv, where the Kyiv research reactor (WWR-M) is located, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU) reported, describing the attack as another war crime.
“The UAV strike on the premises of the Institute for Nuclear Research is an attack on a peaceful nuclear facility that performs exclusively scientific and research functions. It is yet another cynical disregard by Russia for internationally recognised principles and standards of nuclear and radiation safety, and constitutes a war crime,” the SNRIU said in a Facebook statement on Thursday.
According to the regulator, the strike caused a fire, which was quickly extinguished. No casualties were reported.
The SNRIU said that the reactor itself and systems important to safety were not damaged. No changes in radiation levels were recorded, with readings remaining within the natural background range of 0.16–0.20 μSv/h.
The regulator explained that, in order to reduce radiation risks, the reactor has been shut down since February 2022, with its core completely unloaded. Its operation is currently limited to routine maintenance of systems important to safety.
“The Institute for Nuclear Research is a leading research institution in the fields of nuclear physics, nuclear energy and radioecology. The WWR-M reactor is used as a neutron source for fundamental and applied research in nuclear physics,” the SNRIU said.
