Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant’s power cut off

Ukrainian forces are increasing their assaults on energy infrastructure in Crimea. Russia annexed the peninsula illegally in 2014 and has been using it as a base to launch attacks and supply troops in southern Ukraine.

An overnight strike has cut off power supplies to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Russian-occupied southeastern Ukraine, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Thursday.

In a statement, the IAEA said no radioactive release was detected and that radiation levels were normal.

The UN’s atomic energy agency said the nuclear plant — the largest in Europe — was relying on backup diesel generators to “power the cooling of its six shut-down reactors and maintain other essential nuclear safety functions.”

“The latest loss of off-site power once again highlights the extreme fragility of the electrical grid and the constant dangers to nuclear safety during the war,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said.

It was not clear which country was responsible for the strike on Wednesday evening, which hit an electrical substation that powers the plant.

This was the 19th time the plant has been cut off since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Russian forces occupied the area around the plant shortly afterwards.

Both Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly accused each other of risking a nuclear disaster with strikes in the plant’s vicinity.

Thank you for joining us as we bring you the latest developments in Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The nuclear power plant at Zaporizhzhia, the largest of its kind in Europe, has again had its power supplies cut off after a strike hit the area on Wednesday evening.

While no radiation leak has been detected, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says the incident highlights the “constant dangers to nuclear safety” posed by the war, which is in its fifth year.

Ukraine has continued its recent trend of striking energy targets inside Russia, hitting an oil refinery in the southern city of Krasnodar.

Stay tuned as we bring you the details on those incidents and plenty more.