Russia attacked the grounds of the Institute for Nuclear Research in Kyiv, which houses a research reactor, with a drone. The strike was carried out on 30 September at 18:18, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate reported.
No one was injured in the attack. The reactor and safety-critical systems were not damaged.
“No changes in radiation levels were recorded; readings remain within the natural background range (0.16–0.20 μSv/h) and have not changed,” the statement said.
Since the start of the full-scale war, the reactor has been shut down, with the core completely unloaded. Its operation is limited to routine maintenance of safety-critical systems.
“The Institute for Nuclear Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine is a leading research institution in the fields of nuclear physics, nuclear power and radioecology. The VVR-M reactor is used as a neutron source for fundamental and applied research in nuclear physics. The UAV strike on the grounds of the Institute for Nuclear Research is an attack on a peaceful nuclear facility that performs an exclusively scientific and research function, and is yet another cynical disregard by Russia for internationally recognised principles and standards of nuclear and radiation safety, and a war crime,” the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate explained.