Experts warn that Russian attacks and power outages put key stations at risk of disaster.
Russian shelling has repeatedly cut external power lines to Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhia, leaving it dependent on emergency diesel generators to keep its reactors and spent fuel cooled.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described the situation as “critical,” stressing this is the longest period the plant has operated without grid power since the invasion. One of its backup generators has failed, heightening fears of a meltdown.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is urging both Russia and Ukraine to respect nuclear safety protocols. Experts caution that sustained outages or further damage to cooling systems could lead to a catastrophic accident.