According to the state operator, the operation of the Ukrainian nuclear power plant Zaporizhzhya, occupied by Russian troops, has been completely stopped. Energoatom announced that the sixth and final block of the plant has also been taken off the grid. Fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces repeatedly breaks out around Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. The area of the power plant in the city of Enerhodar was hit repeatedly.
According to Energoatom, the nuclear power plant has been operating in “island mode” for the past three days, meaning it only produces electricity for its own use, as all lines to the Ukrainian electricity grid have been interrupted by the shelling. A line to the electricity grid was restored on Saturday evening. As a result, it was decided to supply the nuclear power plant through this line and to shut down and cool the last functioning reactor block to a safe cold state.
Already in August there was an emergency shutdown of the power plant. This was preceded by shelling of the facility, for which the warring parties held each other responsible.
Experts warn of catastrophe
International observers from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warn of a catastrophe due to the unstable situation at the nuclear facility. They expressed concern about the lack of external power to cool reactor cores and nuclear waste.
The nuclear power plant was also the subject of a telephone conversation between French President Emmanuel Macron and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday evening. Macron again called for the withdrawal of Russian troops from the nuclear power plant, according to a statement from the Élysée Palace. Both presidents expressed their support for the work of the IAEA experts on the ground.
Ukraine had been surprisingly successful against the occupiers in recent days as part of an offensive. On Saturday, they announced their withdrawal from key cities in the Kharkov region, and there were also reports of progress in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
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.
