All external power lines supplying electricity to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP ) in Ukraine were down on Friday, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said.
Ukraine has blamed Russian shelling for severing the last power line at the plant, which is not operating but still requires electricity to keep its nuclear fuel cool and radiation levels safe.
The power plant, Europe’s biggest, has switched to running on diesel generators, the International Atomic Energy Agency said.
The IAEA has repeatedly warned of the risk of a catastrophic accident at Zaporizhzhia, which is located near the front line in the war in Ukraine.
Its six reactors are shut down, but the nuclear fuel inside them still needs to be cooled, which requires constant power.
‘Ukraine’s ZNPP lost all off-site power at 17:36 today, 9th time during military conflict and first since late 2023,’ the IAEA said on X.
‘The ZNPP currently relies on power from its emergency diesel generators, underlining (the) extremely precarious nuclear safety situation.’
Ukraine’s energy minister, German Galuschenko, wrote on Telegram that a Russian strike had cut the plant off.
All the external power lines supplying electricity to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine to help it cool the fuel in its reactors are down. Pictured: A fire at a cooling tower of the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in 2024
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, including its Unit No. 4, pictured in June 2023
‘The enemy struck the power line connecting the temporarily occupied (Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant) with the integrated power system of Ukraine.’
Neither the IAEA nor the plant’s Russian-installed management initially cited a cause for the cut-off.
‘The reasons for the disconnection are being clarified. The equipment at the station is in a safe state and under the control of staff.
‘No violations of safety conditions have been noted,’ the Russia-installed management said.
ZNPP has been held by Russia since the early days of the war following Moscow‘s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Inspectors from the UN nuclear watchdog said in May that they haven’t seen any signs of Russia moving to immediately restart the plant.
Both Ukraine and Russia have regularly accused the other of shelling the site, and risking a possible nuclear disaster.
The plant sits roughly 80 miles up the Dnieper river from the Kakhovka dam, which was heavily damaged in explosions on June 6, 2023.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the ZNPP has already experienced a complete blackout 8 times and has repeatedly been on the verge of a blackout. Pictured is the Zaporizhzhia Power Plant
The city of Zaporizhzhia itself is less than 35 miles away and housed 750,000 people before the war.
The plant was also targeted last year. This attack included a strike on the dome of the plant’s sixth power unit that caused no damage.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said at the time that the possibility of a drone strike at the Zaporizhzhia power plant is ‘consistent’ with what it’s seen.
Posting on X, formerly Twitter, the agency said: ‘One casualty reported. Damage at unit 6 has not compromised nuclear safety, but this is a serious incident w/ potential to undermine integrity of the reactor’s containment system.’
Its chief Rafael Grossi added there had been three ‘direct hits’ to such structures.’
This is a breaking news story, more to follow.