NextFin news, Kharkiv, Thursday, September 11, 2025 – The neutron source facility known as "Dzherelo Neitroniv" at the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology has been shelled 74 times by Russian forces since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Despite the repeated attacks, the National Scientific Center of the institute confirmed that the facility operates normally and there is no threat of a large-scale nuclear accident.
The institute, located approximately 22 kilometers from the frontline, houses an experimental device containing enriched uranium. After the invasion began, scientists halted experiments and placed the neutron source into long-term shutdown mode. The uranium remains on site, but the risk of its release has been officially ruled out.
According to a statement posted on the institute's official Facebook page and reported by RBC-Ukraine, "The institute functions in a normal mode. No emergencies have been recorded. Moreover, the probability of a large-scale nuclear accident at this facility is excluded." This statement echoes earlier assurances made by the former general director of the institute, Mykola Shulha.
While the neutron source facility itself is not at risk, other nuclear sites in Ukraine, including research reactors and power plants such as the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, face ongoing threats due to the conflict. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported that the Zaporizhzhia plant's nuclear safety pillars have been severely compromised since Russian occupation.
Despite daily attacks on Kharkiv, scientists at the institute continue to conduct experiments involving nuclear fusion with radioactive hydrogen in other parts of the facility.
The New York Times recently highlighted the dangers posed by shelling of nuclear sites in Ukraine, emphasizing the potential for radioactive contamination if such facilities were damaged. However, Ukrainian authorities and the Kharkiv institute maintain that the neutron source facility itself does not pose such a risk.
This information was confirmed on Friday, September 12, 2025, by RBC-Ukraine, citing the National Scientific Center of the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology and other official sources.
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