Russia's shelling disrupts power supply to Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant, warns Ukraine's Energy Ministry
Ukraine's Energy Ministry reported on Tuesday, October 1, that Russia attacked a substation, disrupting one of the power lines to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The plant is once again on the brink of blackout, posing a severe accident risk, warned Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko.
"We demand immediate compliance with the IAEA resolution and the return of the plant under Ukrainian control. Safe operation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is only possible under Ukrainian supervision," Galushchenko emphasized.
Ukrainian engineers are working to mitigate the damage from the shelling in order to restore full power supply to the plant, which is under Russian control, as quickly as possible, the Energy Ministry added.
Earlier in September, Ukraine's state energy company Energoatom reported damage to one of the power lines supplying the Zaporizhzhia plant due to Russian shelling.
On September 20, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) overwhelmingly called for the immediate withdrawal of Russian military and other personnel from the plant's premises during its session. The agency also demanded unrestricted access to all plant facilities until it is re-controlled by Ukraine.
A day later, Ukraine's new Foreign Minister, Andriy Sybiha, warned that Russia plans to strike critical nuclear energy infrastructure in Ukraine as winter approaches, citing Ukrainian intelligence reports.
On September 5, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, after inspecting the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, suggested that the plant's cooling tower might need to be demolished due to extensive damage from a fire on August 11. Both Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of causing the fire. Grossi affirmed that nuclear plants should never become military targets.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant was occupied by Russian forces on April 4, 2022, at the onset of Russia's full-scale military aggression against Ukraine. By April 13, the last of the six reactors at the plant had been placed in "cold shutdown" mode, wherein the reactor is turned off and kept at low pressure and cooling water temperature.