KYIV, Ukraine – The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine once again relies on diesel generators to power critical cooling functions after shelling severed the plant’s connection to power. outside on Wednesday night.
Even with all reactors off-line called cold-off, the equipment needed to cool spent fuel rods requires a constant source of power. This is at least the fourth time the factory has Lost connection to outside power since Russian forces began occupying the facility at the beginning of the war. Each time, engineers race to repair before they run out of diesel fuel. International nuclear inspectors have called the situation unsustainable and precarious.
Energoatom, the Ukrainian company that operates the plant, said in a statement that two recently repaired high-voltage power lines were damaged by Russian shelling at around 11 p.m. Wednesday, and the plant was closed. switch to “complete power failure mode”. The company says there is enough fuel at the facility to power the generators for 15 days.
Russia purposely cut off its connection to the power grid, Energoatom said, as part of its efforts to redirect power generated by the plant via lines running south to Crimea, which Russia has occupied left. Licensed since 2014 and is an important supply link for Russian forces in Ukraine.
The plant is under the control of Russian forces but is still operated by Ukrainian employees. Russia has stepped up pressure on employees to sign contracts with Russian state nuclear company Rosatom.
Andrey Rudenko, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, said that “important” employees of the plant were contracted with the Rosatom division responsible for the operation of Russia’s nuclear power plants.
Late last week, Energoatom officials said that 100 of the remaining 6,700 Ukrainian employees at the plant had signed a new contract with Rosatom.
“The Russians are blackmailing the employees of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and forcing them to sign fictitious agreements with Rosatom because they cannot bring their own personnel,” said Hryhoriy Plachkov, former head of the regulator. Ukraine’s nuclear said.
Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has repeatedly said that the facility is Ukrainian.
The United Nations agency was not immediately available for comment on the most recent outage. After a blast at the plant damaged a key power line on Monday, the agency said the incident demonstrated “the very fragile nuclear safety and security situation at this facility.”
Mr. Grossi said that pressure on employees to sign new contracts can affect staff readiness and decision-making, possibly increasing the risk of a nuclear accident.
Conditions in the city of Enerhodar, where the rest of the plant’s employees live, became increasingly difficult, and many of their families fled. There is practically no phone or internet service in the city.
According to Ukraine’s military intelligence service, Russian commanders are scattered around the city and live in the homes of those who have left. The agency said Chechen soldiers loyal to Moscow had arrived recently and were patrolling in groups of about 20.
