Repair Efforts Underway at zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Following Repeated Power Outages
Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine – Work has commenced to repair power lines supplying the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power plant, Ukraine’s state nuclear operator Energoatom announced, after the facility suffered repeated outages that heighten the risk of a nuclear accident.The plant, currently under Russian control, requires consistent electricity to power vital cooling and safety systems.
The latest disruption follows months of escalating concerns over the plant’s safety, as both russia and Ukraine accuse each other of shelling the site and jeopardizing its operational integrity. Moscow claimed in early October that the situation at zaporizhzhia was “under control” in response to anxieties voiced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Zaporizhzhia plant, europe’s largest nuclear power plant, was seized by Russian forces in March 2022 during the early stages of the invasion of Ukraine. While russian personnel maintain control of the plant, Ukrainian staff continue to operate it. The loss of external power forces the plant to rely on emergency diesel generators to maintain core cooling, a temporary solution with limited fuel supply.
international Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi has repeatedly called for a protection zone around the plant to prevent a nuclear disaster. The IAEA maintains a permanent presence at the site, monitoring the situation and providing technical assistance.
