Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL), which is overseeing the construction and operation of reactors at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, as well as the Anil Ambani Reliance Group, whose subsidiary Reliance Infra was involved in constructing infrastructure for two units, stated on Wednesday that its core systems remained untouched after the cybersecurity incident.
This statement followed the release of a large volume of files related to the NPP by the well-known ransomware group World Leaks on the darknet, which claimed a data breach.
The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, located in Tamil Nadu, is India's largest nuclear power station. NPCIL, in collaboration with the Russian company Rosatom, is developing this 6000 MW power plant. Currently, Units 1 and 2 are operational, while Units 3, 4, 5, and 6 are at various stages of construction and commissioning.
Reliance Infra participated in the design and construction of infrastructure for Units 3 and 4 of the plant in 2018.
In response to an inquiry from TOI, a representative of Reliance Group stated that the company was notified by Yotta Data Services Private Limited (Yotta), its third-party data center service provider, about a cybersecurity incident related to a ransomware attack attempt. This attack led to a partial leak of data stored on one of Yotta's servers.
The representative added that Yotta informed the company that the suspicious process was immediately detected and stopped, and the incident was localized. It was also confirmed that no ransomware execution, data loss, or lateral movement occurred, and services were restored.
A representative of Reliance Group also noted that Yotta confirmed the implementation of enhanced security monitoring and preventive controls. The company instructed Yotta to conduct a detailed investigation and provide a report. The incident was reported to CERT-In, and disclosure was made to stock exchanges in accordance with Regulation 30 of the SEBI (LODR) Regulations, 2015. The company will take further steps in consultation with legal advisors.
When asked by NPCIL about alleged claims that 19,000 out of 8.6 lakh files posted on the World Leaks website are the most confidential, NPCIL Executive Director (CP&CC) Prateek Agrawal told TOI that these files have no relation to nuclear safety or nuclear security systems. He clarified that, similar to thermal power plants, tenders are conducted for general services that are not related to the core systems of the nuclear power plant.
Later, NPCIL emphasized in its statement that the contract for the design, procurement, and construction of general services awarded to R-Infra is of a routine nature and is commonly found in thermal power plants and other processing industries. NPCIL also stated that during the public tender process, it provided potential participants with preliminary drawings and technical specifications. Based on this data and project requirements, the EPC contractor, Reliance Infrastructure Ltd, prepared detailed engineering drawings in consultation with the respective Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).
NPCIL confirmed that the designs proposed by Reliance Infra and conforming to the technical specifications were approved by NPCIL after verification. The nuclear power plant reiterated that the information claimed to be public relates exclusively to ordinary auxiliary balancing system components and is not connected to systems or information concerning nuclear safety or nuclear security.
Due to the loss of external power supply, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant began operating using diesel generators to meet its internal operational needs, according to the Ukrainian company responsible for the country's nuclear power plants.
The disconnection of the overhead transmission line occurred that afternoon, although Energoatom did not specify the reasons. The company warned that any failure in the external power supply constitutes a threat to both nuclear and radiological safety, as a reliable electricity supply is crucial for the safe operation of the plant and for the cooling systems of the nuclear fuel.
In a statement, it was affirmed that the only way to ensure the safe functioning of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is its rapid return to the full control of Ukraine and its sole legitimate operator, JSC Energoatom, which has the capacity to keep the plant running stably and safely, in compliance with international nuclear safety standards.
According to the Ukrainian agency Ukrinform, the Dniprovska transmission line, considered vital for the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, has been repaired. However, it cannot yet be reactivated because the substation suffered considerable damage due to frequent bombings in the region.
On the same day, Russian attacks on Ukraine resulted in at least five deaths, while Ukrainian bombings targeting Russia and territories occupied by Moscow caused ten fatalities, according to official data from both countries. This new wave of attacks comes one day after the largest Russian drone and missile bombardment against Kyiv since the start of the invasion in February 2022, which led to at least 30 deaths and about a hundred injured in the Ukrainian capital.
Ukraine has intensified its attacks against Russian territory and areas under Moscow's occupation, justifying this action as retaliation for the Russian bombardments that occur almost daily since the beginning of the war. Following the large-scale attacks on Kyiv on Wednesday night into Thursday, Ukraine promised to retaliate 'in kind,' while Russia declared its intention to continue the bombing campaign.
Russia launched the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, alleging the need to protect pro-Russian separatist minorities in the east and to 'denazify' the neighboring country, independent since 1991 after the dissolution of the former Soviet Union. Russia argues that Ukraine has moved away from Moscow's sphere of influence and has drawn closer to Europe and the West.
The conflict in Ukraine has already resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. In recent months, the situation has been marked by massive Russian air attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, while Kyiv's forces have focused their attacks on targets within Russian territory near the border and on the Crimean Peninsula, illegally annexed in 2014.
Diplomatically, Russia has so far rejected any prolonged truce. To end the conflict, Moscow demands that Ukraine cede at least four regions—Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia—in addition to the Crimean Peninsula, annexed in 2014, and permanently renounce joining NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Western defense bloc).
