Ukraine’s nuclear plant shut down

Kyiv, September 11

The last operating reactor at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is Europe’s largest, was shut down on Sunday to reduce the threat of a radiation disaster amid ongoing fighting.

The move became possible after the plant was reconnected to Ukraine’s power grid.

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Fighting near the plant has fuelled fears of a Chernobyl-like disaster, where a reactor exploded and spewed deadly radiation, contaminating a vast area in the world’s worst nuclear catastrophe in 1986.

The plant has been occupied by Russian forces since the opening days of the war. Ukraine and Russia have traded blame for shelling around the plant, which hasn’t damaged its six reactors or spent nuclear fuel storage, but has repeatedly struck power lines and some auxiliary equipment.

While Zaporizhzhia’s reactors are protected by a reinforced shelter that could withstand an errant shell or rocket, a disruption in the electrical supply could knock out cooling systems essential for the reactors’ safety. Emergency diesel generators can be unreliable.

After the facility was knocked off transmission lines on September 5 following a fire caused by shelling, only one reactor remained operational to power cooling systems and other crucial equipment in so-called island mode. — AP