The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned of serious safety risks at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe’s biggest, due to damage to six of its seven power lines.
“Only one off-site power line remains, posing serious safety risks,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi wrote.
All six reactors at the Zaporizhzhia plant are in cold shutdown and cannot operate safely under current conditions. The water level in the cooling pond has dropped to 13.4 meters, approaching the critical threshold of 12 meters, at which point the cooling systems would fail.
In a worst-case scenario, if the water level dips below 12 meters, it could cause fuel overheating, leading to damage the fuel and possibly release radioactive material.
Grossi said that temporary measures are helping, but a long-term solution, such as building a pumping station to draw more water, is needed for safe operations.
“Ongoing military activity, including attacks very close to the ZNPP site, are deeply concerning, adding stress and risk,” Grossi said.
Earlier, Russian forces prevented IAEA experts from accessing a newly built dam on the channel of one of the plant’s cooling ponds.
In August, Ukraine called for the immediate withdrawal of Russian forces from the Zaporizhzhia plant following renewed Russian shelling. The Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Ministry said these actions are part of a well-known and systematic tactic by Russian occupation forces.
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