One of two power lines supplying Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is out of service

One of the two high-voltage power lines supplying electricity to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is out of service, the Russian-installed management of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant said today. It said safety was not under threat. Reuters reported the news. Citing Ukraine’s nuclear power company Energoatom, the Russian-language BBC service said the outage was caused by Russian shelling.

„This situation is extremely dangerous and could lead to an emergency,“ Energoatom said.

Russian forces have occupied the Ukrainian power plant since March 2022, and its reactor units are shut down. In February, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi warned during a visit to Kyiv that the nuclear power plant’s safety remained fragile.

Citing Russia’s Defence Ministry, Reuters also reported that Russian air defences shot down eight missiles over the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine.