Blackout at ZAO: Ukraine and IAEA sound the alarm over risk of disaster

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga met with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi. The central topic was the safety of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is currently in a blackout state.

Sibiga announced this on the social network X.

“I held a meeting with Rafael Grossi regarding the situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP and Russia’s terrorist actions. The Director General provided updated information on the current critical threats to nuclear safety at the plant,” he noted.

The minister emphasized that Russia has effectively seized the Ukrainian nuclear power plant and is trying to connect it to its energy system, despite the high risk of a nuclear incident.

“We believe that the IAEA’s temporary management mechanism over the Zaporizhzhia NPP is the only realistic option in the short term,” Sybiga emphasized.

He also emphasized that in the future, the ZNPP should return to Ukrainian control as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the State Nuclear Regulatory Commission, citing Ukrainian nuclear engineer Oleg Korikov, reports that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been completely disconnected from the Ukrainian power system for six days. Currently, safety systems are operating thanks to backup diesel generators.

“‎Ignoring the requirements and principles of nuclear and radiation safety by the occupiers, shelling of power lines by Russian troops and their damage, creating obstacles to the restoration of these lines by Ukrainian specialists – all these actions could well lead to the worst-case scenario,” Korikov emphasized.

He said diesel fuel supplies and generator operation times remain unknown. Of particular concern are the cooling systems for spent nuclear fuel in reactors and aging pools.

Experts warn: if the connection to the power system is not restored and the fuel for the generators runs out, this could cause an accident with radiation consequences not only for Ukraine, but also for all of Europe.

As you know, Zaporizhzhia NPP is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. It consists of six power units of 1 GW each. In March 2022, during a full-scale invasion, the facility was captured by Russian troops.

As a reminder, the Center of National Resistance stated that the fuel crisis in the temporarily occupied territories poses a security threat to the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant.

As Energoatom reported, the Russian occupiers are deliberately not connecting the Zaporizhzhia NPP to external power supply . The blackout at the station continues, which creates critical risks for Ukraine and all of Europe. Such actions by the enemy could lead to a nuclear disaster.