The Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is on the verge of a blackout after Russian attacks on power lines left the plant connected to only one line, the Energy Ministry reported on Nov. 21.
This is the second time this week that the plant has been seriously threatened by a blackout, which could compromise conditions for safe operation and cause an accident.
At the moment, the plant is connected to the Ukrainian power grid by only one transmission line.
Similar incidents have been reported throughout the full-scale war, with Kyiv accusing Russia of threatening the security of the plant. Russia has occupied the Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest nuclear station in Europe, since March 2022.
Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko confirmed that if the last line is cut off, there will be a complete blackout, as reported by the Energy Ministry's Telegram channel.
The Zaporizhzhia plant is not the only one causing concern.
The Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, and Southern Ukrainian plants were forced to decrease output on Nov. 17 after a massive Russian aerial strike targeted several substations critical to their power supply.
Greenpeace warned that Ukraine's power grid was at "heightened risk of catastrophic failure" after the mass missile and drone attack targeted the electrical substations.
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, confirmed in a statement on Nov. 17 that Ukraine's nuclear power plants had to reduce their electricity production as a precautionary measure due to large-scale missile attacks.
The attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure led to "increased nuclear safety and security risks," Grossi agreed.
Allowing Ukraine to regain control "is the only way to ensure the safe operation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant," Halushchenko said.
Abbey Fenbert
