Russia severed Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant power lines on both sides
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that during the takeover of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the temporarily occupied city of Enerhodar, Russian forces cut the plant's power lines from both sides.
Source: Zelenskyy at a press conference, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine, a Ukrainian news agency
Quote: "There are many requests now to [Rafael] Grossi, [Emmanuel] Macron. [Steve] Witkoff has been sending signals to our side. Everyone asks: what is happening at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, what is the threat, could there be an explosion? It has never happened that the plant stayed on diesel for so long without electricity."
Details: The power lines have been damaged on both sides – from territory controlled by Ukraine and from the Russia-occupied side.
Quote: "Who cut them in the first place? The Russians. They cut them when they were seizing the plant."
More details: Zelenskyy added that Ukraine has consistently repaired the lines from its controlled areas, but Russian forces attacked the repair crews, resulting in the deaths of people.
Background:
- On 23 September at 16:56, the only power transmission line supplying the Zaporizhzhia NPP from Ukraine's power grid was disconnected. This blackout is the tenth since the plant was occupied by Russian forces.
- Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that Russia is attempting to gain International Atomic Energy Agency support in its efforts to seize control of the plant.
- The IAEA has officially confirmed the dangerous situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, which has been without its main power source for ten days due to actions by the Russian forces.
- Russia has deliberately disconnected the Zaporizhzhia NPP from Ukraine's power grid under the guise of a "test" and is preparing to link it to its own power system.
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