Ukraine says Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant lost connection to main power line

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukraine’s national nuclear energy provider said on Thursday that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has lost connection to its main power line.

“On August 10, the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant lost the connection to its main external power transmission line with a voltage of 750 kV (kilovolt),” Energoatom said in a statement.

After that, the statement said, the plant had to switch to its only available 330 kV backup power line, the disconnection of which threatens the loss of external power and will lead to a blackout.

“In such a scenario, the main threat to nuclear and radiation safety is the presence of the 4th power unit of the Zaporizhzhia NPP in a state of ‘hot shutdown’,” the statement said.

The statement also said that the continued control of the plant by Russia brings it “closer to disaster,” adding that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant should immediately be returned to Energoatom’s control.

“The nuclear terrorism of the Russian Federation must be stopped immediately, while the invaders must leave the territory of the power plant and its satellite town of Enerhodar!” it said.

Zaporizhzhia, Europe’s largest and one of the world’s 10 biggest nuclear power plants, has been under Russian control since March last year, soon after the start of the Ukraine war.

Fears of a nuclear catastrophe persist amid claims of shelling around the area.