Russia’s shelling leaves Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant cut off from power, again
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has been disconnected from the power grid due to Russia’s shelling, significantly increasing the risk of an accident, Ukraine’s state energy operation Energoatom said on Monday.
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The nuclear power plant went into the blackout mode for the seventh time since it was occupied last March, the statement read.
"After the loss of external power supply, all diesel generators of the plant were switched on automatically, and the fuel supply will last for ten days," Energoatom says.
It further warned that an accident "with radiation consequences for the whole world" might happen if the external power supply to the Zaporizhzhia plant was not restored in time.
"Russians once again put the world on the brink of disaster, violating all the principles of nuclear and radiation safety," Ukraine’s energy minister German Galushchenko was quoted as saying.
He called on the world to respond to the actions of Russian occupiers, adding that "only increased pressure and sanctions against [Russia’s state nuclear energy company] Rosatom can force the aggressor to stop the terror."
The Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, has been under Russian occupation since March 2022.
However, the plant and surrounding areas are periodically subjected to shelling, causing it to switch to emergency operation.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, a UN body, has repeatedly called for the establishment of a safety zone around the power plant, but its efforts have so far been unsuccessful.
