Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Faces Falling Water Levels, Blackout Risk, Ukraine Says
All six reactors at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant remain in cold shutdown and produce no electricity. Ukrainian intelligence says the facility lost external power three times in August and would require about 150 metric tons of diesel fuel daily during a prolonged blackout.
Ukraine's military intelligence agency has warned that falling water levels and repeated power outages pose a growing safety risk at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. All six of the plant's reactors are currently offline and in a cold shutdown state. Only a minimum of about 1,150 employees are on duty to maintain safety systems.
The water level in the plant's cooling pond has dropped from 12.86 meters in July to 12.55 meters by the end of August, with normal operation requiring at least 15 meters. Power outages have also become a concern, with the facility losing external electricity three times in August due to issues with the Ferrosplavna-1 power line. The outages have strained the operation of backup diesel generators, which require 150 metric tons of fuel per day if a total blackout occurs.
Russian forces have also disconnected the plant's internet access, disrupting communications and oversight, including international monitoring. The Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe's largest nuclear power station, has been under Russian control since the early stages of Ukraine's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Ukrainian forces continue to recognize it as Ukrainian territory.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
