Comment KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant has been cut off from the country’s power grid, causing a massive blackout in the neighboring region after fires destroyed its last operating transmission line, Ukraine’s nuclear power company said Thursday. The incident has renewed security fears at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), which is also Europe’s largest nuclear power plant and is located in an area now occupied by Russian invasion forces. The fighting near the plant has led to intense fears of a potential disaster and calls by many world leaders to allow UN nuclear experts to visit the site. Russian and Ukrainian officials have swapped blame for the bombing of the plant, which they said resulted in the power grid being disconnected – the first time it had ever been cut. Officials, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, have warned that such a disconnection could lead to an extremely dangerous situation by disrupting the normal operation of the plant and potentially making it difficult to cool the reactors. “The attackers’ actions caused ZNPP to be completely disconnected from the power grid — for the first time in the plant’s history,” Ukraine’s nuclear power company Energoatom said in a statement. On Thursday morning, the mayor of Enerhodar, where the plant is located, said the town was on the brink of a humanitarian disaster as shelling left it without electricity or water. He later said officials were working to restore power to the city. The Russian-installed “governor” of the occupied territory, Yevhen Balytskyi, blamed Ukraine’s military for the shutdowns. The accusation was echoed by Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency, which reported that shelling by Ukrainian forces shorted a network, resulting in “a blackout in the Zaporizhzhia region.” Inside Ukraine’s nuclear plant, explosions and constant fear The nuclear plant is now powered by a neighboring geothermal plant and Russia’s Enerhodar is expected to restore power in a few hours, an Energoatom spokesman said. Workers at the Ukrainian plant have continued to keep the nuclear site operating while under the control of occupation authorities. The Zaporizhzhia plant is an important source of energy for Ukraine. Before the Russian invasion on February 24, it provided a fifth of Ukraine’s electricity and almost half of its nuclear power. US Under Secretary of State Bonnie Jenkins, the top official in charge of arms control and international security, told reporters on Thursday that she was aware of reports of a power outage but could not independently confirm them. Jenkins renewed calls for the Russian military to evacuate the plant and allow international nuclear experts to visit, saying a blackout could have an “immediate impact, obviously” on Ukrainian citizens. In a statement, Rafael Mariano Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, said the plant lost power twice during the day but was now back up and running. Grossi said the incident further underscored the “urgent need to send IAEA experts to travel to the facility.” He said he was ready to go there himself in the next few days. “Almost every day there is a new incident at or near the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant,” he said. “We cannot afford to waste any more time. I am determined to personally lead an IAEA mission to the plant in the coming days to help stabilize the nuclear safety and security situation there.” On Tuesday, Zelensky called for international pressure to force Russian occupation forces to leave the plant and the surrounding area. “We have to put pressure on Russia, give them an ultimatum from the international community that they have to leave,” Zelensky said, adding: “This is dangerous for the whole world.” Experts are trying to figure out whether the damage to the factory was due to deliberate sabotage or perhaps the result of an error by soldiers in the area. They said having IAEA inspectors on the ground would improve the situation. “At the very least, the IAEA can assess the security of the plant,” said Jon Wolfsthal, a former senior director for arms control and nonproliferation at the National Security Council during the Obama administration. “It can determine whether or not there was damage to the reactor containment,” Wolfsthal said. “It can determine if backup security systems are online and working. It can provide reassurance to the Ukrainians and the Russians and the nearby population, and the rest of Europe, that there are still multiple backup systems in place, or alert the world if those systems are not there.” Karina Tsui in Washington and Robyn Dixon in Riga, Latvia contributed to this report.
War in Ukraine: What you need to know
The last: Grain shipments from Ukraine are being accelerated under the agreement reached by Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations in July. Russia’s blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports had sent food prices skyrocketing and raised fears of more famine in the Middle East and Africa. At least 18 ships, including cargoes of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, have departed. The battle: The conflict on the ground continues as Russia uses its heavy artillery advantage to pound Ukrainian forces, which have at times managed to put up stiff resistance. In the south, Ukraine’s hopes rest on liberating the Russian-held region of Kherson, and eventually Crimea, which Russia seized in 2014. Fears of a disaster at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant persist as both sides accuse each other of they bomb. The weapons: Western arms supplies are helping Ukraine slow Russian advances. US-supplied High Mobility Artillery Missile Systems (HIMARS) allow Ukrainian forces to strike further behind Russian lines against Russian artillery. Russia has used a range of weapons against Ukraine, some of which have drawn the attention and concern of analysts. Photos: Washington Post photographers have been on the ground since the start of the war — here are some of their strongest works. How you can help: Here are ways those in the US can help support the Ukrainian people as well as the donations people have made around the world. Read his full coverage Russia-Ukraine crisis. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for updates and exclusive video.
