IAEA warns of fragile nuclear safety at Zaporizhzhia plant

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant lost its power supply on Friday for the 21st time since the Ukraine crisis, underscoring the fragility of nuclear safety at the facility. The disruption occurred after the plant lost connection to the 330 kilovolt Ferosplavna-1 transmission line, the IAEA said in a post on platform X. According to the IAEA team on site, military activity triggered the electrical protection systems on the transmission lines connecting the plant to the Ferosplavna-1 line. After the off-site power supply was cut, the plant’s emergency diesel generators automatically started operating to maintain power for critical reactor cooling systems and other essential nuclear safety functions. ‘The recent loss of off-site power once again demonstrates the fragile state of nuclear safety at the plant and the need for maximum military restraint to help prevent a nuclear accident,’ said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.