The European Union is calling on Russia to immediately cease hostilities around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in order to urgently restore electricity supplies that ensure the facility’s viability.
This was stated in a declaration by the spokesperson of the EU’s External Action Service.
The EU recalled that last week the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant once again lost connection to its last remaining external power source. This is already the 10th such incident since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. It is the longest and most serious outage so far, especially given that ongoing fighting continues to hinder repairs and the reconnection of power lines.
“We call on Russia to immediately cease all military operations around the nuclear plant to enable the urgent restoration of power lines,” the spokesperson said.
Electricity supply to the plant — needed to cool the six shut-down reactors and perform other vital nuclear safety functions — currently depends solely on emergency diesel generators, and a prolonged power loss could ultimately put safety systems at risk, the spokesperson stressed.
The spokesperson emphasized that “the EU fully supports the IAEA’s efforts to facilitate repair of power lines in accordance with the seven pillars of nuclear safety.” In particular, this concerns compliance with the fourth principle — securing external power supply for all nuclear facilities. Adherence to the “seven pillars,” as well as the five specific principles for protecting the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, is crucial for further strengthening nuclear safety and protection worldwide, the statement said.
“Russia must immediately, unconditionally and completely withdraw all its forces, military equipment and other unauthorised personnel from the ZNPP and the whole territory of Ukraine. Returning the ZNPP to the full control of the competent and legitimate Ukrainian authorities is the only lasting solution to minimise the risk of a nuclear accident with global implications,” the EU spokesperson declared.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated the day before that a critical situation had developed at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant due to the power outage. The station is being supplied with electricity by diesel generators, one of which, according to available information, has already failed.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, occupied by Russian forces, has remained disconnected from Ukraine’s power grid for seven days, creating risks for nuclear and radiation safety.
