Rivne nuclear plant to get drone defense – reports
Source: Nashi Hroshi
Ukraine’s nuclear operator, Energoatom, has signed a deal to design and build a protective structure at the Rivne nuclear power plant just days after president Zelensky warned in his speech at the United Nations about the threats the country’s energy facilities can face this autumn. Valued at 509 million UAH, the contract was reportedly finalized on September 25, 2024.
With Ukraine’s nuclear plants having no proper protection from Russian drones and missiles, the move was predictable but long overdue. The new protective structures, described as “reinforced concrete P-shaped units”, will help to protect the nuclear power plant transformers from new attacks.
The protection has proved to be effective for Ukrenergo, Ukraine’ grid operator, and its substations – it started to put up similar protection last year. Although not fully completed, even the unfinished structures have proven capable of preventing damage from strikes.
It is worth noting that the Rivne nuclear power plant contract is classified, there is no information about the protective structures its site is going to get.
The same safety concerns spurred action at Ukrhydroenergo facilities. In September, the company spent 1.11 billion hryvnias on protection and repairs of its hydroelectric power stations. Notably, 540 million hryvnias went to Ukrtal Construction, a company with alleged links to oligarch Vitaliy Haiduk though no details of the contract were made public.
Five armored vehicles “Kozak” have received a new mission – thanks to the support of Metinvest, they have been upgraded to full-fledged command and staff vehicles. These upgraded vehicles are now operating on the front line.
A kamikaze drone flies directly toward an armored personnel carrier. But instead of penetrating the hull, it explodes on a steel screen. The crew survives. This is the new reality for Ukrainian forces, who have received enhanced protection thanks to the Metinvest project within “Steel Front of Rinat Akhmetov”.
To commemorate the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion, “Bukvy” has compiled data on the largest donors supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Among them there are charitable foundations and businesses. The list includes, in particular, foundations that provide assistance exclusively from their own resources, without fundraising (such as SCM by Rinat Akhmetov, Epicenter, etc.).
In just 1.5 months, Ukrainian specialists have created an innovative protective shell for the control modules of anti-aircraft missile systems (AMS) Patriot and Iris-T SLM. This development was another step in strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities, aimed at protecting key elements of the air defense system from debris damage.
Military serviceman of the International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine with the call sign “Paradox” is the crew commander of the American M113 armored personnel carrier. He is a master at using it and is constantly improving, because the legionnaire’s skills are tested every day in battle. You have to drive to the front lines, often under artillery fire and drone attacks.