Situation Critical at Mammoth Ukraine Nuclear Plant

Kyiv Independent:

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) remains disconnected from the Ukrainian electricity grid and without external power for the 10th consecutive day, creating an increasingly “risky” situation,  experts told the Kyiv Independent.

Russian President Vladimir Putin referenced the crisis at the ZNPP, which is under Russian control, in his Oct. 2 remarks at the Valdai International Discussion Club,  again blaming Ukraine for the outage, despite evidence to the contrary, and threateningretaliatory strikes on Ukrainian nuclear power plants. 

Beyond the escalating rhetoric, experts indicate that the danger at the plant, the largest nuclear power station in Europe, is real. 

Ukraine’s state nuclear operator Energoatom warned that the diesel generators powering the plant are designed only for short-term emergency use and are not meant to sustain the plant’s operational needs for an extended period. A shutdown of these generators could result in a loss of control over the facility’s nuclear safety systems. 

President Volodymyr Zelensky described the situation at the Zaporizhzhia plant as “critical” on Sept. 30. Diesel generators are now supplying power to the plant, but one has already failed, he said.

Washington Post:

More than a week after Russia said the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant lost external power because of shelling, the situation at Europe’s largest nuclear plant is now critical, government officials and energy watchdogs say, with the facility running off emergency diesel generators.

Ukraine says shelling by Russia caused the crisis, while Russia blames Ukraine. Meanwhile, a Greenpeace investigation published Wednesday examined satellite imagery and found no evidence of military strikes or shelling near the plant’s power lines. 

President Donald Trump has previously expressed interest in the United States taking over the facility.

What is clear is that the situation at the plant — seized by Moscow in 2022 and under Russian occupation — is increasingly tenuous. Officials say it has been operating off the grid since the afternoon of Sept. 23, when the last remaining power line to the facility was damaged during intense fighting in the area.

“While … there is no immediate danger as long as [the generators] keep working, it is clearly not a sustainable situation in terms of nuclear safety,” Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in a statement. “Neither side would benefit from a nuclear accident.”

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This is the most recent update I can find from Xinhua News Agency, which seems consistent with other reporting:

 Multiple rounds of shelling were heard at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) on Monday amid the longest off-site power loss of the plant, posing “growing risks” to its nuclear safety and security, according to a UN nuclear watchdog statement.

The shelling occurred in the afternoon, totalling about 15 rounds at near and middle distance from the site. The ZNPP informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that two rounds of shelling struck around 1.25 km from the site perimeter, the IAEA statement said.

No casualties have been reported and there was no immediate information of any damages. However, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said the shelling further underlined the constant dangers facing the ZNPP.

“The nuclear safety and security situation is clearly not improving. On the contrary, the risks are growing,” Grossi said. “The plant has now been without off-site power for almost two weeks, forcing it to rely on emergency diesel generators for the electricity it needs to cool its shutdown reactors and spent fuel. This is an extraordinarily challenging situation.”