The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has been completely disconnected from the Ukrainian power grid for the sixth day. Its critical systems are currently operating solely on backup diesel generators. The exact amount of fuel available at the plant remains unknown.
This was reported by the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine. According to the head of the inspectorate, Oleg Korikov, the power supply was lost due to shelling and damage to transmission lines by the Russian military. Ukrainian specialists do not have access to the lines to carry out repairs, as the occupiers are blocking any work.
The Head of the State Nuclear Regulatory Commission also noted that the uncertainty of fuel reserves creates serious risks. If the generators stop due to lack of fuel, the consequences could be catastrophic: from a radiation accident at the NPP itself to contamination of territories outside Ukraine. The State Nuclear Regulatory Commission emphasized that the actions of the occupiers grossly violate the basic principles of nuclear and radiation safety, in particular those voiced by the head of the IAEA Rafael Grossi. Reliable external energy supply is a key element in preventing accidents at nuclear facilities, and its absence makes the situation at the ZNPP extremely dangerous.
Despite repeated resolutions of the IAEA, the UN General Assembly, and calls from the world community to de-occupy and demilitarize the ZNPP, Russia continues to ignore international requirements and is actually turning Europe's largest nuclear power plant into an object of heightened threat to the entire continent.
