The U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Wednesday that a thermal power plant near Ukraine’s Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) came under heavy attack, raising concerns about the security of the nuclear facility’s last remaining external power line.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it had been informed by the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant that the nearby Zaporizhzhia Thermal Power Plant (ZTPP), whose switchyard helps deliver electricity to the nuclear facility, was attacked earlier in the day.
IAEA experts stationed at the nuclear plant observed light smoke coming from the direction of the thermal power station and heard sounds of military activity, the agency said.
The incident has heightened concerns over the ZNPP’s sole remaining power line, which has been disconnected several times in recent weeks, forcing Europe’s largest nuclear power plant to rely entirely on emergency diesel generators to power systems needed to cool its six reactors.
The power line remained connected following the attack, according to information provided to the IAEA, although staff at the thermal power plant were sheltering during the incident.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi expressed deep concern over the reported attack and urged an immediate halt to military activity that could threaten the facility’s power supply.
“Such attacks must stop immediately,” Grossi said, warning that an extended loss of off-site power could increase nuclear safety risks at the plant.