Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant on 'verge of blackout' after Russian attack, Energoatom says
An external overhead line that supplies power from Ukraine's energy grid to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in the city of Enerhodar was disconnected on Aug. 22 after Russian attacks, the state nuclear energy company Energoatom said on Aug. 23.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest nuclear plant in Europe, has been under Russian occupation since March 2022. Throughout its occupation, the plant has been repeatedly disconnected from the Ukrainian power grid due to Russian attacks on the country's energy infrastructure.
The plant is connected to Ukraine's power grid by one power line now, the agency said.
"In case of damage, an emergency will arise due to the loss of external power supply to the pumps that cool the reactor cores and fuel pools at the power plant," the statement read.
According to Energoatom, the plant has already experienced eight complete blackouts and a partial one when emergency diesel generators and safety systems were activated.
"Their dysfunction could lead to an emergency," the agency said.
The nuclear safety situation at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is "deteriorating" after reports that a drone struck the road near the facility's perimeter, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on Aug. 17.
The IAEA team said that the drone hit did not cause any casualties or damage to plant equipment, but said military activity near the ZNPP has been "intense" in recent days.
The reported drone strike and Russia's allegations come as Moscow continues to spread claims that Ukrainian forces are planning to attack the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant as part of their incursion into the border region along with attacks on the ZNPP.
Earlier this month, Kyiv accused Russian forces on Aug. 11 of setting fire to "a large number of automobile tires in cooling towers" at the nuclear plant in an effort to "create panic in the settlements on the right bank of the former reservoir."
Martin Fornusek
