"Ukraine’s #ZNPP this morning lost all external electricity for 7th time during conflict, forcing it to rely on emergency diesel generators for power; nuclear safety situation at the plant extremely vulnerable. We must agree to protect plant now; this situation cannot continue," Grossi tweeted.
Earlier in the day, the power plant said that it had switched to operation on diesel generators due to the shutdown of the last high-voltage line. The cause of the shutdown of the high-voltage line is under investigation. The radiation levels remain within the normal range.
Located on the left bank of the Dnepr River, the Zaporozhye NPP is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe by number of units and energy output. It went under the control of Russian forces in early March 2022 and has since been repeatedly shelled, raising international concerns over a possible nuclear accident. On October 5, the Zaporozhye NPP was placed under the control of Russian institutions in line with instructions by President Vladimir Putin.
Russia has considered the Zaporozhye Region to be part of its territory since September 30, 2022, when Russian President Vladimir Putin and the head of the region signed an agreement on its accession to the country, following a referendum in which an overwhelming majority of the local population supported becoming part of Russia.