Blackout at Chornobyl NPP lasted over three hours: Zelensky says Russia carried out targeted strike with dozens of drones

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in a post on Telegram on Wednesday, October 1, according to Ukrinform.

"Today, a Russian strike on one of our energy substations in Slavutych caused a blackout lasting more than three hours at the former Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant facilities. This included the New Safe Confinement, which protects the environment from remnants of reactor 4 after the 1986 explosion, as well as from radioactive debris and dust. It's also a storage facility for spent nuclear fuel, holding 80% of all the spent fuel accumulated during the NPP’s operation – fuel assemblies weighing over 3,250 tonnes in total," he wrote.

According to him, the Russians could not have been unaware that striking facilities in Slavutych would have such consequences for Chornobyl. And this was a deliberate strike, involving more than 20 drones – preliminary estimates indicate Russian-Iranian Shaheds. Some of these drones were shot down, but the attack was specifically executed as a wave to complicate the facility's defense.

Zelensky also stressed that the blackout at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant continues into its eighth day. It began due to Russian shelling in the area of the plant, and the Russians are doing absolutely nothing to rectify the situation or allow Ukrainian specialists to restore external power to the ZNPP, which should normally operate continuously. Russia is intentionally creating a risk of radiological incidents, taking advantage, unfortunately, of the weak stance of the IAEA and Director General Rafael Grossi, as well as the dispersed global attention.

"Half-hearted or weak measures will not fix the situation. Every day that Russia prolongs the war, refuses to implement a full and reliable ceasefire, and continues striking all objects of our energy infrastructure – including those critical to the safety of nuclear power plants and other nuclear facilities – is a global threat. In addition to the Chornobyl and Zaporizhzhia facilities, Ukraine has five nuclear power plants, and each of them could become a target for Russian drones and missiles," Zelensky said.

He added that it is crucial that European countries, the United States, and the G7 and G20 nations take real action for peace and security to the fullest extent possible.

"Strong response and appropriate pressure on Russia are required to protect human life. I am grateful to everyone in the world who refuses to remain silent," Zelensky said.

On October 1, in Slavutych, Kyiv region, electricity supply was cut off after Russian forces struck a substation with drones.

Photo: picture alliance/dpa/EBRD Photostream