Ukraine Powerplant Disaster

The United Nations has issued an urgent warning following a barrage of Russian missile strikes that caused the disruption of the power supply to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine.

Half of Ukraine’s energy is supplied by four nuclear power plants and fifteen reactors, making it a critical component of Ukraine’s energy grid, which Russia has been targeting since last October.

The chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Director general Rafael Grossi, has warned that “each time we are rolling a dice” and that the condition of Europe’s largest nuclear power station stays critical. He has appealed for the conflict to be solved and for

Ukraine’s nuclear infrastructure to be guaranteed as safe.

The Zaporizhzhia plant – which had its 750kV line bringing electricity to the facility damaged by shelling - has been cut off for the sixth time since the war began. Although the damage was repaired and power was restored almost twelve hours later by engineers from Ukrenergo, which is the Ukrainian state energy company, there still remains the risk of the incident happening again. Russian forces have likely been targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with the likely purpose of disrupting logistics and demoralising civilians. They have used missile strikes, artillery barrages, drones, and air strikes in their efforts to damage Ukrainian power plants.

What’s Next for Ukraine?

Although danger has now passed, it may only be temporary. While a grave accident at Zaporizhzhia is unlikely to take place, there is an elevated risk of an accident at other Ukranian nuclear power plants.