KYIV:The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, situated in Ukraine and currently under Russian occupation since the 2022 invasion, faces a critical situation as a result of recent strikes on a nearby hydro-electric dam by Russian forces. The plant, Europe’s largest nuclear facility, is currently offline and relies on external power to prevent a potential meltdown of its nuclear material.
The strikes on the hydro-electric dam have caused widespread blackouts across central Ukraine, exacerbating the precarious situation at the nuclear plant. Despite the loss of connection to its main off-site power line, the plant still has a backup power line operational, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
However, Petro Kotin, the head of Ukraine’s Energoatom nuclear power company, has sounded the alarm, warning that the plant is on the verge of a blackout. Should the last remaining power line linking the facility to the national grid fail, it would pose a grave threat and could potentially lead to a nuclear emergency.
The plant has experienced power outages multiple times during the conflict, and officials have expressed concerns about relying on backup diesel generators, which increase the risk of a nuclear accident.
The Russian-controlled management of the plant has reported that one of the two high-voltage power lines supplying electricity to the facility is currently down but insists that there is no immediate safety threat.
As tensions escalate and the situation remains precarious, the international community closely watches the developments at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, hoping to avert a potential catastrophe.
