Power failure around Zaporizhia nuclear power plant – power plant taken “totally” off grid
“Yet again iodine tablets are sold in pharmacies”
“You are preparing for a scenario that you don’t want to imagine,” the WELT reporter says of the situation surrounding the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia. Concerns about a Chernobyl-like nuclear disaster are growing in Ukraine, given the numerous rocket attacks in the vicinity.
In southern Ukraine, there was a power outage in the area around the occupied Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. According to Ukraine, the cause was “enemy fire”, according to Russia, a short circuit. Selenskyj criticizes the IAEA for not reacting quickly to the situation at the nuclear power plant.
DAccording to the operator, the nuclear power plant in Zaporozhye, occupied by the Russian military, was completely disconnected from the Ukrainian power grid on Thursday. According to Ukrainian operating company Energoatom, the last two reactors still operating were “completely” shut down as a result of the fire at the plant. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the nuclear power plant was still operational. Hence, electricity was supplied from a nearby thermal power plant.
In the past few weeks, the area around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant has been repeatedly shelled, for which Ukraine and Russia have blamed each other. The shelling has raised fears that Zaporizhia could face a nuclear disaster similar to Ukraine’s Chernobyl in 1986. With six reactors, the plant in Zaporizhia is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.
This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant
Source: Maxar Technologies/AP/dpa
In his daily video address on Thursday evening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it had brought Ukrainians, like all Europeans, “to the brink of a nuclear catastrophe.” He also criticized the IAEA for not reacting quickly enough to the situation at the nuclear power plant.
The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant was completely disconnected from the Ukrainian power grid “for the first time in the plant’s history,” Energoatom reported earlier on the online service Telegram. The state operating agency blamed “acts of the occupiers”.
Energoatom announced that the last remaining connection line between the nuclear plant and the Ukrainian power grid had been severed by a fire in ash pits at a nearby thermal power plant. The other three lines were earlier damaged by “terrorist attacks” by the Russian side.
The Ukrainian state-owned company explained that power supply to the nuclear power plant is still guaranteed via the thermal plant. The IAEA also announced that electricity will be supplied to the nuclear power plant. The reactors’ emergency protection systems have been put into operation and all safety systems are operational, IAEA Director General Raffaele Grossi said. According to experts, permanent power supply is essential for the safety of nuclear power plants.
The nuclear power plant is not far from the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014. Energoatom therefore suspects that Russia wants to connect Zaporizhia to Crimea’s power grid.
The US government warned Moscow on Thursday against any attempt to divert electricity produced in Zaporizhia to “occupied territories”. State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said the stream “belongs to Ukraine.” According to him, the US government has no indication of increased radiation levels in Zaporizhia.
During a phone call with Zelensky, US President Joe Biden pleaded with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin to withdraw Russian troops from the nuclear plant and allow IAEA inspections of the plant, the White House said.
Current situation in Ukraine
Source: Infographic World
Ukraine accuses Russia of storing heavy weapons at the nuclear plant site and using it as a base for attacks on Ukrainian positions. Moscow denies this and asserts that only soldiers stationed at the plant are responsible for protecting the plant. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for the establishment of a demilitarized zone around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.
Before the war of Russian aggression, the plant generated a fifth of Ukraine’s electricity. The nuclear power plant was captured by Russian troops on March 4, 8 days after the invasion began. Parts of the nuclear power plant were damaged in shelling over the past few weeks.
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