
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) has been reconnected to the Ukrainian power grid, national energy company Ukrenergo said in a statement Monday.
Earlier Monday, Ukrenergo said the plant – currently occupied by Russian forces – had been cut off from the grid after the high-voltage line that supplies it was one of those damaged by a Russian attack on the Dnipro region, to the north of Zaporizhzhia, in the early hours of the morning.
“As a result of damage to the high-voltage line, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant lost power from the power system and operated from diesel generators,” it said on Telegram.
“This is the seventh time since the temporary occupation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP that the Russians have created a nuclear and radiation hazard in the NPP area. Ukrenergo made maximum efforts and restored power to the nuclear plant from the Ukrainian power system,” the statement said.
Military and infrastructure facilities in Dnipro were attacked by Russian missiles and drones early on Monday, according to a Telegram post by the Ukrainian air force.
“Unfortunately, the energy infrastructure was damaged,” Ukrenergo said.
It said the power supply to people in Zaporizhzhia had been cut off. It's now been restored but Ukrenergo appealed for “economical consumption,” especially in peak hours.
Some context: The Zaporizhzhia NPP is the largest in Europe and has been the site of intense shelling since the start of the war. Held by Russian forces, it's mostly operated by a Ukrainian workforce.
Concerns around nuclear safety flared up again this month after Russia began a large-scale evacuation of the area, amid rumors of Ukraine’s looming counteroffensive.
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has been involved in intense negotiations with Russia and Ukraine to agree on “a set of principles” to reduce the risk of a nuclear accident at the plant, the agency said.