After the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine was completely shut down due to fire damage, it has now been reconnected to power lines. This has been announced by the International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA, based on information from Kiev. However, according to this, all six reactors are still inactive. Earlier, a fire had broken out in the ash pits of a nearby coal-fired power station. These had damaged the high-voltage power lines, removing the last two functioning reactor blocks from the grid.
According to the operator of the Energoatom nuclear power plant, the safety systems at the plant were functioning normally. Work is currently underway to reconnect one of the reactor blocks to the grid. The Russian occupation administration, on the other hand, announced that a reactor block had been restarted.
Generators Supply Systems – Silent
According to energy sources, the two separated blocks are currently powered by diesel generators. Each unit consists of the reactor itself, a cooling system and other components with three Soviet-era diesel generators. However, these “could not be served for weeks,” the insider told Reuters news agency.
Meanwhile, the United States warned Moscow against diverting power. “To be clear, the nuclear power plant and the electricity it produces are owned by Ukraine,” Vedant Patel, a deputy spokesman for the United States Department of State, said Thursday. Any attempt to disconnect the plant from Ukrainian power and divert it to Russian-occupied territories is “unacceptable”.
Zelenskyj: Time is running out
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is calling for increased international pressure on Russia to evacuate the occupied Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. He referred to Thursday’s emergency shutdown of two reactors due to two power outages.
The IAEA and other international organizations should act much faster than before, Zelenskyj said in his video address in Kiev that evening. “Every minute that the Russian military stays in the nuclear power plant poses the risk of a global radiation disaster.”
situation remains unclear
IAEA Director Rafael Grossi confirmed his willingness to go to Zaporizhzhya with experts within days. The situation around Europe’s largest nuclear power plant has been obscure for weeks. Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of shelling the nuclear power plant. The British Ministry of Defense has released satellite photos that allegedly show Russian military trucks next to a reactor. Last week, an unverified video also showed military vehicles in one of the major machine shops.
Russian soldiers took over the nuclear power plant in early March. It is still managed by Ukrainian personnel under their supervision. Bullets have recently fallen on the site. Ukraine and Russia blame each other for this.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
