Darya Dolzikova​

During a recent Associated Press trip to the Ukrainian-controlled zone closest to the nuclear plant, two airborne bombs struck electrical infrastructure in a matter of minutes as night fell. Russia has repeatedly struck at Ukraine’s grid, attacks that have intensified this year. Highlighting the constant danger, electricity to the NPP was cut yet again for three days as emergency workers struggled to put out the fire. It was at least the seventh time this year that the plant was down to either a single electrical line or generator power, according to the global Nuclear Energy Agency. “Nuclear power plants are not meant to be disconnected from the grid. It’s not designed for that. It’s also not designed to be operating in cold shutdown for that long,” said Darya Dolzikova, a researcher on nuclear policy at the Royal United Services Institute in London.

“Nuclear power plants are not meant to be disconnected from the grid. It’s not designed for that. It’s also not designed to be operating in cold shutdown for that long,” said Darya Dolzikova, a researcher on nuclear policy at the Royal United Services Institute in London.

As Darya Dolzikova, a research fellow in proliferation and nuclear policy at the Royal United Services Institute in London said, this political decision is as critical as Iran’s technical capabilities. “The risk that you run is that, if Iran’s not made that decision to weaponize, yet, if you do militarily attack those facilities, you might actually push Iran towards a decision to weaponize, because it decides that that’s what it needs,” Dolzikova said. “It needs that nuclear deterrent to keep itself safe.”