Zaporizhzhia NPP in blackout for 6 days: Ukraine warns of possible “radiation consequences” for Europe

According to Ukrinform, this was stated by Oleh Korikov, Head of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU).

“Ignoring the requirements and principles of nuclear and radiation safety, Russian shelling and damage to power transmission lines, and creating obstacles for Ukrainian specialists to restore these lines — all these actions could well lead to the worst-case scenario. Currently, it is unclear what diesel fuel reserves remain at the ZNPP industrial site and how long the diesel generators can continue to operate to power safety systems and other safety-critical systems. Above all, this concerns the cooling of spent nuclear fuel stored in all six reactors and in spent fuel pools,” Korikov commented.

It was noted that the ZNPP has been operating solely on diesel generators for six days. Korikov stressed that if Russian occupiers do not promptly create conditions for restoring the ZNPP’s connection to Ukraine’s power grid, and if the diesel fuel at the industrial site runs out, the development of an emergency is highly likely — one that would have radiation consequences not only for Ukraine but also for European countries.

As reported, on September 23, the last external power line to the ZNPP was disconnected. The backup line had already been cut by Russian forces in May, and since then, the occupiers have not provided security guarantees for repair crews from NPC Ukrenergo to carry out restoration.

Energoatom stated that the external power line to the Zaporizhzhia NPP on territory controlled by Ukraine is in a working state. Russia is deliberately refusing to reconnect the plant to the power supply, continuing a large-scale disinformation campaign against Ukraine.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha said that Russia has laid 200 kilometers of power transmission lines in preparation for an attempt to “steal” the Zaporizhzhia NPP, connect it to its own power grid, and restart it. The environmental NGO Greenpeace emphasized that the occupiers may exploit the current blackout at the ZNPP to achieve this.

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