“Protection of the Critical Energy Infrastructure Must Be One of the Key Areas of International Cooperation”
Excerpts from the speech by Yurii Andriichuk, Director of the Center for Strategic Analysis and Environmental Security, at the Institute for Global Politics’ press conference “Challenges of Nuclear and Environmental Safety in Wartime (as exemplified by the Zaporizhzhia NPP, the Kakhovka HPP, and international oil and gas pipelines)”.
Today we are discussing three extremely important topics – the nuclear safety of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the environmental consequences of the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant, and the risks associated with Russian attacks on international oil and gas pipelines. All of these issues have one thing in common – they have long ceased to be merely an internal problem for Ukraine. After all, we are talking about international nuclear safety, environmental stability, and Europe’s energy security. I will begin with international oil and gas pipelines, a significant portion of which has historically been linked to the Russian energy system.
For decades, energy infrastructure was built as a tool for economic cooperation between countries. But Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine demonstrates that this infrastructure can also be a tool for political and geopolitical influence. I mean major international pipelines through which oil and gas were supplied to European countries. These include systems such as the Druzhba oil pipeline, the Urengoy–Pomary–Uzhhorod, Blue Stream, and Turkish Stream gas pipelines, and other major pipelines. They run through the territories of different countries, are connected to ecosystems and watersheds, and pass through densely populated regions. And today we must pay attention not only to their economic role but also to the risks they may pose to the environment and people.
The first of these risk categories is military risks. During wartime, any energy infrastructure facility becomes a target for attacks, sabotage, or accidental damage. We have already seen how damage to energy infrastructure has led to large-scale environmental consequences. Particularly vulnerable are thousand-kilometer-long pipeline systems that stretch across different territories.
The second category is environmental risks. Damage to an oil pipeline can lead to significant oil spills that spread across large areas of land, including forests and agricultural fields. If a spill occurs near rivers or water systems, the contamination can spread for hundreds of kilometers. Such accidents can have a transnational character, with the consequences affecting several countries at once. Major natural gas leaks from pipelines result in significant emissions of methane, one of the most potent greenhouse gases. Thus, pipeline damage is not merely a local issue but also a factor affecting the global climate.
The third category is technological risks. A significant portion of the pipelines, which were built as far back as the 1970s and 1980s, are now operating at the limits of their technical lifespan. Amid war, economic constraints, and the absence of robust international oversight, the risks of technical accidents are only increasing. Therefore, it is crucial today to discuss the need for a new approach to energy infrastructure security. In our view, several key steps need to be taken.
First, international monitoring of the condition of major pipelines of cross-border significance must be implemented. Here, modern satellite technologies and early leak detection systems can be used, and international information exchange can be established.
Second, there should be regular environmental audits of the pipeline infrastructure. This involves not only assessing the technical condition of the pipes but also evaluating risks to the environment – including soil, water resources, and natural ecosystems.
Third, international response mechanisms must be established to address environmental accidents that may arise from damage to energy infrastructure. These could include international expert groups, mobile laboratories, and joint environmental monitoring centers.
And the fourth important step is to diversify energy routes and reduce dependence on politically vulnerable energy systems. Events in recent years demonstrate that energy should not be a tool for political pressure or blackmail.
It should be borne in mind that energy infrastructure, which was created in the 20th century as an economic tool, has today become a vital element of environmental and international security. And our shared task is to ensure that energy serves development and cooperation between countries, rather than creating new risks for the environment and people. Speaking of Ukraine, it is currently not only on the battlefield but is also fighting for Europe’s environmental security. And that is precisely why the issue of protecting critical energy infrastructure must be one of the key areas of international cooperation.
As a representative of the Institute for Ecological Restoration and Development of Ukraine, I would like to say a few words about the Institute, which will mark its first anniversary in two months. During this time, a strong team has come together that addresses all such issues and, by analyzing them, and among other things, provides information to various ministries. Such activities allow us to care for the future not only of our Ukraine. Environmental security involves many legal, practical, and organizational issues. And this is something that should concern not only us but also the European Union, where we have many partners.
The issue regarding the Blue Stream and Turkish Stream pipelines, which we are currently discussing. We all know what the Russian president is “accusing” us of: that Ukrainians are planning to blow them up. But the paradox is that when the Russians started talking about this, it is quite possible that they themselves might do it. After all, their warning coincided with the bombing of the Druzhba oil pipeline, along with all their terrorist attacks. Those attacks were directed at the entire oil pipeline system, where auxiliary systems were destroyed along with the pipeline itself.
There are currently four gas pipeline systems in Ukraine. Back in 2015, they had to be shut down. And Russia’s “pipeline troops” are constantly trying to arrive from Russia through them! It’s not just in Sumy region that they’ve moved onto our territory via these pipelines. This is the Russians’ “unique” way of attacking Ukraine.
The Druzhba oil pipeline, which is nearly 60 years old, is in very poor technical condition. But the obligations Ukraine has taken on regarding the transportation of 12 million tons of oil put it in a position where it needs significant resources precisely to maintain the operation of this pipeline. And this even involves serious political risks. In particular, regarding the upcoming elections in Hungary. Precisely what was just said about the sabotage of the Nord Stream or the possible sabotage of the Blue Stream and Turkish Stream is directly linked to the elections.
And even if something like that were to happen, I am pointing out that it would be a massive catastrophe for the Black Sea. The Black Sea is 80% hydrogen sulfide, and life exists only on the surface of that remaining 20%. All marine life would be affected by the explosion, and it would take an extremely long time for it to recover.
Speaking of the pipelines located on Ukrainian territory – specifically, the ammonia pipeline. It’s the most vulnerable to damage. It runs to the “Pivdennyi” Port and is currently under partial shelling. If it gets hit, I think it would be an extremely severe environmental disaster…
Given that the total length of all pipelines laid across Ukraine is nearly a million kilometers, we will always be in a situation where all the disasters would fall on our shoulders. We can only prevent all of the above if we establish a systemic approach to such activities. Only then will it be possible to establish a process for resolving the problems we are discussing today – whether regarding nuclear power plants, pipelines, or all the issues currently unfolding in war-affected areas of Ukraine. But first, we need to collect all the information, analyze it, and propose concrete, actionable solutions.
Yurii Andriichuk
