OUR nuclear power plant her Zaporozhyewhich is under the control of Russian troops in the south Ukrainelost contact with the Ukrainian energy system due to a Russian missile strike, the Ukrainian company Energoatom said today.

For their part, Russian-appointed officials in the Moscow-controlled Zaporozhye region said the power outage at the nuclear power plant was a “provocation.”

“The last line of communication between the occupied Zaporozhye nuclear power plant and the energy system of Ukraine was cut due to rocket attacks,” Energoatom noted.

The announcement came as Ukraine became the target of a new wave of Russian rocket attacks that hit several cities and infrastructure.

“At the moment, the station (…) has switched to the “off” mode for the sixth time after the occupation,” Energoatom added.

“The Countdown Has Begun”

According to the company, the fifth and sixth reactors of the nuclear power plant have been shut down, and 18 diesel generators have been turned on to ensure the main operation of the station.

“The fuel will last for ten days. The countdown has begun,” he said.

“If the external power supply of the nuclear power plant is not restored, an accident may occur that will affect the whole world,” he stressed.

The Russian military seized the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant on March 4, 2022, nine days after the invasion of Ukraine began.

The station, which before the invasion produced 20% of Ukraine’s electricity, continued to operate in the first days after the occupation, despite shelling. It closed in September.

Since then, none of the six Soviet VVER-1000 reactors has produced electricity, but the station remains connected to the Ukrainian power grid and consumes electricity for its own needs.

Energoatom had previously warned that the plant’s closure would result in “a gradual failure of its systems and equipment.”

^{Source: APE-MEB, AFP, Reuters.}