▲ Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine, currently under Russian control, has been without external power for more than two days, according to a report by the RIA Novosti news agency.
Evgenia Yashina, a spokesperson for the plant's operator, stated that the 330kV backup power line has been out of service since the evening of June 10 (local time).
The 750kV main power line has been unavailable since March 24.
If external power is cut off, the cooling systems within the plant cease to function. In the worst-case scenario, this could lead to reactor overheating, resulting in a core meltdown and a catastrophic release of radioactive materials.
Spokesperson Yashina added that the Zaporizhzhia plant is currently meeting its power needs for cooling by operating emergency diesel generators.
In a statement on June 11, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported, "We were informed that all external power to the plant was cut off following an attack on a substation across the Dnipro River." The agency noted that this marks the 19th such incident since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began in 2022.
The IAEA pointed out that "the plant is operating on only a single power line, making it extremely vulnerable to power grid failures like the one that occurred," and confirmed that the cooling of the six reactors is being maintained by emergency diesel generators.
(Photo: Getty Images Korea)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.