By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – UN chief Antonio Guterres on Sunday strongly condemned Russia’s latest wave of drone and missile attacks in Ukraine reportedly the largest in over three years of war warning that the strikes again jeopardized nuclear safety at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the statement issued by UN spokesman’s office stated.
Spokesman Stephane Dujarric issued a statement expressed alarm over the dangerous escalation and the rising toll on civilians.
He reiterated that attacks against civilians and critical infrastructure are prohibited under international law and called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.
The statement said “These strikes disrupted the power supply to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, once again underlining the ongoing risks to nuclear safety.”.
It added “The Secretary-General reiterates his call for a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine as a first step towards a just, comprehensive and sustainable peace, in line with the UN Charter, international law and relevant UN resolutions.”
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency the airstrikes on Friday severed the nuclear plant’s last external power connection, forcing the ZNPP to rely on emergency diesel generators for more than three hours.
IAEA said that power was restored, but the plant has lost all off-site electricity since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.
Director General of the nuclear watchdog agency IAEA Rafael Mariano Grossi, warned that the situation remains extremely fragile.
“What was once virtually unimaginablethat a major nuclear power plant would repeatedly lose all of its external power connections has unfortunately become a common occurrence,” he said.
IAEA reported that the Zaporizhzhia plant is the largest nuclear power facility in Europe.
The agency said that its 6 reactors have been in cold shutdown since 2024, they still require electricity to cool reactor cores and spent fuel pools to prevent overheating and potential radioactive release.
It noted that during the blackout, 18 diesel generators were activated to maintain critical cooling functions.
IAEA reported that the plant has diesel on site for at least ten days, with contingency plans in place to secure further supplies if needed.
The ZNPP has become dramatically more vulnerable since the war began. Prior to the conflict, it had access to ten external power lines; it now relies on just one.
IAEA teams remain based at the site and continue to monitor the situation closely.
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