Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Ihor Nasalyk is alarmed by the frequent stoppages of reactors at Ukrainian nuclear power plants (NPP). He links this with the incompetent management of the sector during the past 18 months.

"Even now – 30 minutes ago – a halt [of a reactor] was recorded at Yuzhnoukrainsk NPP [nuclear power plant]," he said in parliament on Friday.

The minister said that one of the key problems is that Energoatom's accounts have been blocked.

"SBU and other agencies worked on this debt. They declared it criminal, but today the law enforcement service has blocked all the accounts of National Nuclear Generating Company Energoatom and I cannot understand the reasons. I think the freezing of the accounts has prevented to purchase of spare parts by Energoatom. This creates a danger for our state," Nasalyk said.

The press service of Energoatom said that reactor two of Yuzhnoukrainsk NPP was disconnected from the power grid at 10:01 on Friday because the automatic protection system was activated.

The causes are being investigated. Radiation level is normal.

As of noon of May 20 eight out of 15 reactors of four operating Ukrainian NPPs are in operation.