KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Russia's ongoing bombardment has raised severe concerns regarding the safety of Ukraine's nuclear facilities. Recently, a drone attack caused a power outage at the site of the infamous 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, plunging it into darkness for over three hours. Meanwhile, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, remains disconnected from the power grid, heightening fears amongst officials.

Both Chernobyl and the Zaporizhzhia plant are currently not operational; however, they rely on a continuous electricity supply to maintain essential cooling systems for spent fuel rods. This is crucial to prevent any potential nuclear incidents. A blackout at Chernobyl could disable radiation monitoring systems, which are crucial for ensuring the plant's safety, and are operated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of deliberately creating a threat of radiation incidents. In his remarks, Zelenskyy criticized the IAEA and its chief, Rafael Mariano Grossi, for their insufficient responses to the looming danger posed by the ongoing attacks. “Every day of Russia’s war, every strike on our energy facilities, including those connected to nuclear safety, is a global threat,” he stated emphatically, insisting that "strong action is needed" to address the situation.

The war, which erupted following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine over three years ago, shows no signs of abating, despite ongoing U.S.-led peace initiatives. In his nightly address, Zelenskyy reported that Russian forces had launched over 20 Shahed drones targeted at the energy infrastructure in Slavutych, the city that serves as the power supply for Chernobyl. The drone assault overwhelmed defenses and resulted in a blackout, affecting the sarcophagus designed to contain radioactive dust from the destroyed reactor and the storage facilities for over 3,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel.

According to Zelenskyy, the Russians must have known that an attack on Slavutych would lead to dire consequences for Chernobyl. He referenced a previous incident where a drone armed with a warhead hit Chernobyl's protective outer shell last February, briefly igniting a fire, although radiation levels remained stable.

On the other hand, the Zaporizhzhia plant, classified as one of the ten largest nuclear facilities globally, has been disconnected from the grid for over a week. The facility has been caught in the crossfire of the ongoing conflict, with Zelenskyy attributing the power line disruption to Russian artillery. Conversely, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed the damage was the result of Ukrainian shelling. Currently, the plant relies on emergency diesel generators to operate cooling systems for its six shut-down reactors and their spent fuel.

The IAEA has assessed that while the plant is not in immediate danger, it should be reconnected to the grid as soon as possible. The Institute for the Study of War, based in Washington, D.C., commented that Russia's occupation of Zaporizhzhia has significantly compromised the security of the facility. They raised concerns that Moscow aims to integrate the plant into the Russian grid, a move that would exacerbate security risks, diminish Ukraine’s future energy generation capacity, and serve as a justification for Russia's occupation of Ukrainian territory.

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Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal.

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