Ukraine's largest NPP skirts shadows of catastrophe once again under Russian occupation

On Sunday, the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, which is temporarily occupied by the Russians, was on the verge of blackout all day, the state NPP operator Energoatom reports.

On November 26, at 10:30 a.m., due to a short circuit approximately 100 km north of the Zaporizhzhya NPP, the last (fourth) line of its connection to the energy system of Ukraine – PL-750 kV ZNPP "Dniprovska" – was disconnected. Three other lines were damaged even earlier during Russian shelling.

As reported by the IAEA, at that time the ZNPP was receiving external power from the only available backup power transmission line of 330 kV.

In addition, there was a partial blackout of reactor No. 4 with the automatic switching on of the diesel generator, which was turned off manually 10 minutes later. This indicates the presence of a problem with the power supply of the nuclear facility, added Energoatom.

The damaged 750 kV line was repaired by Ukrainian specialists by 8:52 p.m. Until that time, the Zaporizhzhya NPP was on the verge of another blackout almost all day in case of de-energization of the 330 kV reserve line.

Since the capture by the Russian military, the ZNPP has repeatedly lost its external power source, the plant has already experienced seven complete blackouts and one partial blackout.

Ukraine's spy chief Kyrylo Budanov reported that Ukrainian troops tried to liberate the town of Enerhodar and the nearby Zaporizhzhya NPP on three occasions.

In August, the head of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate, Oleh Korikov, said that Ukraine would like the IAEA to take a more critical position on what the Russian occupation forces are doing at the ZNPP.

On September 29, the IAEA General Conference approved a resolution calling for the immediate return of the ZNPP to the full control of Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy promised not to fire at the Zaporizhzhya NPP.