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Ukrenergo: Backup power line restored at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

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Ukrenergo: Backup power line restored at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
The Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, as seen on Sept. 11, 2022. (Stringer / AFP via Getty Images)

The backup power line at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has been repaired after sustaining damage from Russian shelling, Ukraine's state-owned energy operator Ukrenergo reported on Feb. 24.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has been occupied by Russian forces since March 2022.

"The 330 kV overhead line that provides backup power to the facilities at the nuclear power plant site has been repaired and put back into operation," Ukrenergo said.

The company reported that the overhead line had been heavily damged by Russian shelling on Feb. 20.

"The damage site was located in a place where there are constant hostilities. The military allowed our repair crews there during short periods of relative calm, so we had to work day and night," Ukrenergo said.

In their statement, Ukrenergo representatives said the repairs could have been completed much faster if they did not have to deal with frequent interruptions caused by nearby artillery fire.

The six reactors at the Russian-occupied plant are currently shut down, but the facility's front-line position puts it at risk. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi has warned that heavy fighting near the plant poses serious threats to nuclear safety.

Life near Russian-occupied nuclear plant: ‘I don’t know if tomorrow will come’
Editor’s Note: The Kyiv Independent talked to residents who are still in Russian-occupied Enerhodar and those who recently left but still have family in the city. For their safety, we do not disclose their identities. When Russian soldiers captured Enerhodar, the satellite city of the Zaporizhzhia…
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Abbey Fenbert

Senior News Editor

Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.

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