The move comes two days after the plant was temporarily shut down due to what officials said was fire damage to a transmission line. The iodine tablets, which help prevent the absorption of radioactive iodine by the thyroid gland in a nuclear accident, were issued in the city of Zaporizhzhia – about 27 miles (45 kilometers) from the plant. The fighting around the plant has raised concerns of a possible nuclear disaster. Continuous shelling has been reported in the area, and satellite images from Planet Labs have shown fires burning around the compound in recent days. On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned: “Russia has brought Ukraine and all Europeans into a situation one step away from a radiological disaster.” Russian forces seized the factory in southern Ukraine in March and have controlled it since, although it is still operated by Ukrainian technicians. The two sides have repeatedly accused each other of shelling the site. While the UN atomic energy agency is trying to seek access to inspect and help secure the plant – with officials saying preparations for the trip are underway – it remains unclear when it might take place. Nuclear experts have warned of the risk of damage to the Zaporizhzhia plant’s spent nuclear fuel tanks or its reactors. Image: Satellite image shows smoke rising from fires at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on Wednesday. Photo: Planet Labs PBC/AP The factory knocked out the power grid In Thursday’s incident, both sides blamed each other for the damage to the transmission line that knocked the plant off the power grid. Exactly what went wrong was not clear, but Mr. Zelenskyy said the plant’s emergency backup diesel generators had to be activated to provide electricity to run the complex. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 4:27 Analysis: Six months of conflict The plant needs energy to run the reactors’ vital cooling systems. Loss of cooling could lead to nuclear meltdown. On Friday Ukrenergo, the operator of Ukraine’s transmission system, said two damaged main lines supplying the plant with electricity had resumed operation, ensuring a stable power supply. The incident raised fears of a nuclear disaster in a country still haunted by the 1986 Chernobyl explosion. Read more: What are the risks of a nuclear accident at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant Russia put Europe ‘one step away’ from nuclear disaster at power plant Putin to increase size of Russian armed forces by 137,000 by 2023 While Ukraine has accused Russia of using the plant as a shield by storing weapons there and launching attacks from around it, Moscow accuses Ukraine of firing recklessly at it. The head of Ukraine’s nuclear industry told Sky News that plant staff have been tortured by the Russians to force them to stay and operate the facility.
