Russian shelling damages power line at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant again

Russian military forces have once again damaged one of the two remaining power lines supplying the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant they seized in early 2022.  The attack left the nuclear site connected to Ukraine’s energy grid through the last power line, which increases  the risk of an emergency situation.

Energoatom warns that the loss of the last line could see the nuclear power plant lose the key source of external power which remains critical for the pumps that cool the reactors’ active zones and the spent fuel pools. Such an unwelcome scenario would pose a serious threat to nuclear safety.

In response to the escalating situation, Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has announced that he will be traveling to Zaporizhzhia to address the issue.