Drones expose vulnerability in Helsinki nuclear power plans

Helsinki’s plans for a nuclear power plant face a security risk from drones, Yle reports. Former Finnish Defence Forces research director Jyri Kosola says a plant in the city should be built underground to protect it from targeted drone attacks.

Energy company Helen is considering Salmisaari, Vuosaari and Norrberget as possible locations. Kosola says nuclear energy could be produced in Salmisaari, but not in a facility built above ground.

Artificial intelligence-controlled drones have already caused destruction in Russia’s war against Ukraine. In early August, drones were found at Leipzig and Halle airports, and Germany said Russia was responsible.

Nuclear power plants are known to be required to withstand earthquakes and the impact of a large passenger aircraft. They are not designed to withstand full-scale military attacks, however, and information about their detailed security requirements is classified.

Kosola says protection against an accidental drone, such as one whose navigation system has been disrupted, may be comparable to protection against an aircraft. The threat is different when a facility itself is the target.

“When an aircraft crashes, it comes down from above with force. When a drone arrives, it can stop, knock politely on the door and slip inside when the door is opened,” Kosola says.

Small drones could use ventilation ducts, while a chain of drones could blast through obstacles and allow the last drones to reach their target, he says.

Kosola also says drones are attractive tools for hybrid influence operations because their origin can be concealed or denied more easily than that of conventional missiles. They are cheap and easy to make, meaning they could also fall into the hands of non-state actors.

He says countering drones requires more than weapons and other military interception systems. Urban planning is the first step, including decisions about what is built and where. Important infrastructure is difficult to protect after construction, particularly when it is located among high-rise buildings and housing.

Helen is considering around half a dozen nuclear facility options that differ in how much of the plant would be underground. Finnish company Steady Energy says it is developing the only nuclear facility on the market whose nuclear systems are entirely underground.

The Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority says an accidental drone can pose a threat comparable to an aircraft and does not therefore require changes to the central safety requirements. The requirements also cover protection against intentional damage according to the current threat assessment.

Steady Energy says drones differ from aircraft in their size and capabilities, meaning that protecting against them requires some different design solutions.

The Finnish Defence Forces says the laws of war prohibit attacks on nuclear power plants when they could cause serious consequences for civilians.