EU urges Russia to withdraw from Europe’s largest nuclear plant amid weeklong blackout

The European Union (EU) has called on Russia to immediately halt military activity around the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), Europe’s largest, as it endures a weeklong blackout, the longest since the start of the all-out invasion in February 2022. 

“We call on Russia to immediately cease all military operations around the nuclear plant to enable the urgent restoration of power lines,” the EU’s foreign policy service said in a statement on Sept. 30.

The EU noted that this is the tenth blackout at the facility since the invasion that was triggered after the last transmission on Sept. 23. The political and economic bloc also reaffirmed its support for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in facilitating repairs. 

“The EU fully supports the efforts of the IAEA to facilitate the repairs of power lines,” the statement said.

The EU also said that Russia’s attempts to illegally seize the ZNPP have no legal basis under international law. It added that Russia must immediately remove all forces from the plant and from all of Ukraine’s territory.

“Returning the ZNPP to the full control of the competent and legitimate Ukrainian authorities is the only lasting solution to minimise the risk of a nuclear accident with global implications,” the EU said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sept. 30 described the situation at the plant as critical. He said that one of the 18 diesel generators, which the plant has relied on for the past seven days, has failed.

“This is a threat to absolutely everyone. No terrorist in the world has ever dared to do to a nuclear plant what Russia is doing right now. And it is right that the world does not stay silent,” Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian World Congress is calling on the international community to increase pressure on Russia and impose new sanctions to force the Kremlin to immediately demilitarize and return the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to full control of legitimate Ukrainian authorities.