Prague: Ukraine Foundation’s Vice President Alex Luna Warns of Growing Nuclear Security Risks Across Ukraine

The interview focused on a reality often overlooked in discussions about the war. While public attention frequently centers on the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine’s nuclear security challenge extends far beyond a single facility. According to Tyshchenko, Russia’s long-range strike capabilities have effectively eliminated any notion of a safe geographic rear area. All four of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants remain vulnerable to attack.

Nuclear Security Is a European Security Issue

One of the key themes of the discussion was the inseparability of Ukrainian and European nuclear security. A major incident at any Ukrainian nuclear facility would not be confined by national borders. The consequences would affect neighboring countries, regional energy security, and public confidence across Europe.

Tyshchenko emphasized that modern nuclear infrastructure was designed to withstand accidents and technical failures—not sustained military attacks involving missiles, drones, and long-range precision weapons. The damage inflicted on the New Safe Confinement structure at Chornobyl illustrates this challenge. Built to safely isolate the destroyed reactor for generations, the structure was never intended to serve as a fortress against military strikes.

The lesson is significant. Nuclear safety standards developed in peacetime are now being tested in conditions for which they were never designed.

The Zaporizhzhia Challenge

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant remains the most visible symbol of the risks created by the war. Although all six reactors are currently shut down, the facility continues to require stable external power supplies to maintain cooling and essential safety systems. Repeated disruptions to these power connections remain a source of concern.

Tyshchenko noted that a failure of backup systems would not necessarily result in a repeat of the 1986 Chornobyl disaster. However, he warned that a severe accident could still create an environmental catastrophe whose consequences would be felt for decades and potentially extend beyond Ukraine’s borders. The exact impact would depend on meteorological conditions and the nature of the incident.

The discussion also addressed proposals occasionally advanced regarding international administration of the facility. Tyshchenko argued that the technical management of the plant is not the primary obstacle. The fundamental question is security: who can guarantee the safety of personnel operating a nuclear facility while one party to the conflict continues to conduct military operations against Ukrainian infrastructure? 

Nuclear Facilities as Instruments of Psychological Pressure

A particularly important aspect of the interview concerned Russia’s use of nuclear-related incidents as instruments of strategic signaling and psychological pressure.

Tyshchenko described attacks associated with the Chornobyl exclusion zone as acts of psychological terrorism intended to exploit the enduring emotional impact of the 1986 disaster. Any incident involving Chornobyl immediately attracts international attention and generates public anxiety far beyond Ukraine’s borders. According to his assessment, this effect is not incidental but forms part of a broader strategy aimed at shaping perceptions and influencing international responses.

This observation reflects a wider trend visible throughout the war: critical infrastructure is targeted not only for its operational value but also for its psychological and political impact.

Resilience Under Continuous Threat

The interview also addressed Ukraine’s preparedness for radiological and nuclear contingencies. Tyshchenko cautioned against unrealistic expectations. No large European country can be fully protected against a nuclear attack or entirely shield its population from such risks. Nevertheless, Ukraine has accumulated practical experience in protecting and operating nuclear infrastructure under conditions of sustained military pressure.

This experience is unprecedented in modern Europe. For more than four years, Ukrainian authorities, operators, and emergency services have had to manage nuclear facilities while facing regular missile and drone attacks from one of the world’s largest military powers.

Lessons for Europe

The broader lesson emerging from Tyshchenko’s assessment is that the war in Ukraine has fundamentally altered assumptions about nuclear security. Traditional safety models were built around technical failures, natural disasters, and industrial accidents. They were not designed around the deliberate targeting of nuclear-related infrastructure during a major interstate conflict.

As Europe debates energy security, resilience, and defense preparedness, Ukraine’s experience demonstrates that nuclear security can no longer be treated as a purely technical matter. It has become an integral component of national security, critical infrastructure protection, and strategic deterrence.

The risks facing Ukraine’s nuclear sector are therefore not solely Ukrainian risks. They are a warning about the vulnerabilities that modern societies must address in an era where military, technological, and psychological dimensions of conflict increasingly overlap.

As moderator and host, Alex Luna guided a thoughtful discussion with Ambassador Taylor on the evolving geopolitical landscape, the enduring importance of transatlantic cooperation, and the challenges and opportunities facing Ukraine as it continues to defend its sovereignty and pursue its Euro-Atlantic future.

Ambassador Taylor, one of the United States’ most respected diplomats and long-standing advocates for Ukraine, offered valuable insights drawn from decades of experience in diplomacy, security policy, and U.S.-Ukraine relations. The discussion underscored the strategic importance of sustained international engagement and highlighted the resilience demonstrated by the Ukrainian people in the face of ongoing aggression.

For Ukraine Foundation, the event reflected the organization’s broader commitment to strengthening international partnerships, advancing informed public discourse, and creating opportunities for constructive engagement between policymakers, experts, civil society leaders, and the Ukrainian diaspora. Through initiatives such as this, the Foundation seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of Ukraine’s strategic importance and the global implications of the war.

Alex Luna’s leadership in convening conversations of this caliber continues to demonstrate the important role that cultural and public diplomacy play in strengthening Ukraine’s international presence. As Vice President for Cultural Diplomacy, he has consistently worked to build bridges between Ukraine and its international partners through dialogue, advocacy, and cultural engagement.

Ukraine Foundation extends its sincere gratitude to Ambassador William Taylor for his participation and to Ukraine House for providing a distinguished venue that continues to serve as a focal point for the Ukrainian community and its friends in Washington.

Renowned visual artist Alex Luna continues his powerful exploration of the Somnia Disaster with a European tour, shedding light on the haunting legacy of this enigmatic event. Following its impactful debut, the exhibition makes its second stop in Sofia, Bulgaria, where it has already garnered significant media attention. Through a compelling blend of visual storytelling and immersive installations, Luna invites viewers across Europe to confront the surreal and often unsettling dimensions of memory, loss, and collective trauma.

Somnia Disaster Featured in

The accidents in Chernobyl and Fukushima are the focus of the documentary exhibition “The Catastrophe of Dreams”, which was opened at the National Assembly. The exhibition includes nearly 40 photographs by Alexander Tishchenko (Alex Luna) and Shigeru Yoshida, which touch on the psychological and aesthetic consequences of two of the largest nuclear accidents in the world. The event was organized on the initiative of MP Lyuben Dilov Jr. and the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Defense and the Bulgaria-Ukraine Friendship Group Hristo Gadzhev.

The exhibition is important for all Bulgarians because our country was one of the countries most affected by the Chernobyl accident, said Lyuben Dilov Jr. According to him, this is also the first artistic bridge of its kind  connecting Chernobyl and Fukushima. Lyuben Dilov Jr. pointed out that after the horrific incidents, Japan has created another engineering miracle with the construction of a 400-kilometer wall with an average height of 15 meters to protect the coast, and the Ukrainian people have turned Pripyat and the Chernobyl region into one of the most exotic places in Europe. “The catastrophe of dreams” gives birth to new dreams, not despair, he added. Lyuben Dilov Jr. also recalled the words of Shigeru Yoshida, who says that only the one who knows the pain can cure it and protect others from it.

For his part, one of the authors of the documentary photographs, Alexander Tishchenko (Alex Luna), noted that in these days when the world is facing a nuclear war, there is no higher value than human life, because it defeats any catastrophe. The opening of the exhibition was also attended by MPs, public figures, representatives of the diplomatic corps and journalists.

У Болгарії відкрилася фотовиставка «Somnia Disaster»

У Народних Зборах Республіки Болгарія 18 червня відбулася церемонія відкриття фотовиставки «Somnia disaster» – спільного артпроєкту українських та японських митців, присвяченого ядерним трагедіям у Чорнобилі, Фукусімі, а також Хіросімі та Нагасакі.

Експозиція унікальним чином об’єднала творчу команду під керівництвом Олександра Тищенка (Alex Luna) та японського фотографа Шіґеру Йошіди. Їхні роботи покликані привернути увагу міжнародної спільноти до проблеми протидії ядерним загрозам та спонукати до посилення міжнародної підтримки України.

Виставку вдалося реалізувати за підтримки голови Групи дружби “Болгарія – Україна” болгарського парламенту Христо Гаджева та депутата Любена Ділова.

Читайте також: Болгарія продовжила до березня програму підтримки українських біженців

Під час церемонії відкриття болгарські депутати та гості заходу хвилиною мовчання вшанували пам’ять жертв російського ракетного обстрілу України, що стався 17 червня. Внаслідок цього терористичного акту загинуло 28 людей, а понад 130 отримали поранення.

Нагадаємо, 12 червня на площі перед Народним театром ім. Івана Вазова у Софії відкрилася цифрова фотовиставка «Україна: любов + війна» – арт-документальний проєкт, який уперше представлено у Болгарії.

Somnia Disaster Featured In The Bulgarian Media