SAFETY & SECURITY | NEW SECURITY DOCTRINE security doctrine A new nuclear
Increased geopolitical instability requires a new doctrine of global nuclear security architecture that considers novel beyond-design threats. Operator experience from Ukraine can inform such an evolution, as a new paper reveals.
Ukraine’s unique experience of NPP survival includes operation in house load mode, which the personnel of the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) implemented for the first time in August 2022. Source: Energoatom
THE WORLD HAS ENTERED A NEW era of nuclear security challenges which demand a new nuclear architecture that is flexible, autonomous, technologically independent, and capable of functioning under conditions of war, terrorism, cyberattacks, and systemic crises. This is the conclusion of ‘Doctrine of global nuclear security architecture: Beyond- design threats, autonomy, and collective defense’ a new paper by Georgiy Balakan, former advisor to the president of Energoatom, Ukraine’s national nuclear energy generating company, and now independent nuclear safety expert. According to Balakan, the search for a new security model
is the path toward building a global system that ensures the resilience of nuclear energy in the face of emerging classes of risk. He argues that traditional nuclear safety standards no longer protect nuclear power plants from new types of threat, whether military, hybrid, cyber, energy, or geopolitical. In this conceptual proposal for shaping a new global
nuclear security architecture that accounts for contemporary threats, Balakan offers a resilience model capable of ensuring safe operation. It is based on Ukraine’s practical experience operating nuclear power plants under crisis conditions and outlines a safety architecture that is particularly relevant currently given heightened geopolitical tension. The goal of the Doctrine is to serve as a guide for nuclear power plant operators, regulators, and institutions that are responsible for physical protection, cybersecurity, crisis response, and long-term stability of energy infrastructure. It establishes a framework for the protection of nuclear infrastructure in the face of modern threats and is directed
22 | June 2026 |
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toward military political structures engaged in defence planning, critical infrastructure protection, and countering hybrid aggression.
The need for new rules Ukraine’s experience is a clear demonstration of the weakness of current rules and limitations, says Balakan. Such rules thus require immediate revision to neutralise any attempts at nuclear terrorism or sabotage against the peaceful use of nuclear energy. However, over four years of war in Ukraine have shown that, under the right conditions, nuclear power plants can become decisive stabilisers of the power grid, especially during missile and drone attacks, when traditional energy sources are vulnerable targets that can be permanently destroyed. Ukraine’s unique experience of NPP survival includes operation in house load mode, which the personnel of the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) implemented for the first time in August 2022. During a complete loss of electrical connection to the Ukrainian grid, a reactor unit continued operating on its own auxiliary loads until external power was restored. In November 2022, a massive missile strike caused a
systemic blackout of the Ukrainian power grid, resulting in the emergency shutdown of all nuclear power plants in the country. A solution was found through the activation of a special resilience protocol, which allowed operators to maintain nuclear safety without violations despite severe electrical disturbances in the external grid. Such
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