Chernobyl NPP loses external power after Russian shelling, lines to other plants damaged

Russian shelling on the night of January 20 damaged several Ukrainian power substations that are critical for nuclear safety, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi reported.

As a result, the Chernobyl NPP lost all off-site power, and transmission lines to other nuclear plants were damaged.

In October, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant already experienced a three-hour blackout following a Russian attack on the city of Slavutych.

Power surges left the new safe confinement, or sarcophagus, without electricity. This key facility isolates the destroyed Unit 4 of the Chernobyl NPP and prevents the release of radioactive materials into the environment.

The sarcophagus had already lost some of its protective functions following a previous Russian attack in February, when it was struck by a drone.

According to the Air Force, during the January 20 Russian strike, Ukrainian forces shot down 14 of 18 ballistic missiles, 13 of 15 cruise missiles, and 315 of 339 drones.