One day our luck will run out: IAEA Director on power outage at Zaporizhzhia NPP caused by russian missile attack

“One day our luck will run out” – IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi on power outage at Zaporizhzhia NPP caused by russian missile attack.

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, commented on the recent russian shelling that took place on March 9, which left the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant without power for the first time since November 23, 2022.

His speech, cited by the IAEA press service, does not mention Russia, which launched a massive missile attack on Ukraine.

According to Grossi, 20 diesel generators have been activated, eight of which are currently providing the plant’s critical needs.

“There’s enough diesel on the site for 15 days of operation. The two of six units that were in hot shutdown are moving to cold shutdown. This is for the first time the site has lost all power since 23 November 2022 and follows reports of missile strikes across Ukraine overnight,” he said.

He added that the IAEA experts on the site reported the consequences of the shelling at the Zaporizhzhia plant. Other nuclear plants have not been directly affected during Thursday’s massive missile attack.

“This is the sixth time – let me say it again, the sixth time – that ZNPP has lost all off-site power and has had to operate in this emergency mode. Let me remind you that this is the largest nuclear power station in Europe. What are we doing? How can we sit here in this room this morning and allow this to happen? This cannot go on. I am astonished by the complacency – what are we doing to prevent this happening?” asked the agency head.

He reminded that the IAEA is responsible for monitoring nuclear safety, and every such case is a “rolling of the dice.”

“And if we let this go on and on, one day our luck will run out. I call on everyone in this room today and beyond: we must commit to protecting the safety and security of the NPP,” he added.

Grossi noted that he would continue “urgent consultations.” 

Earlier,  Energoatom reported that on the morning of March 9, as a result of Russian missile attacks, the last communication line of the occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP with the Ukrainian power system was disconnected. According to the company, there will be enough fuel at the plant for 10 days. 

Russian troops launched a massive attack on Ukraine during the night and early morning of March 9. There are hits in Kyiv, Zhytomyr,  Оdesa, Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions. It is known about two victims in thecapital. In the Lviv region, four people were killed as a result of a missile hitting a residential sector. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, one person died and two were injured. There are power supply shortages in the regions. Train delays were reported. 

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion Moscow has denied a targeted аttack on civillians, despite of testiminies and evidence of this.

Another threat from the russian occupiers is that russia hides its mobilized soldiers at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

Meantime, the recent reports also say that russian troops withdrawal preparation from Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant begins.

Ukraine Front Lines

Tags: Grossi IAEA russia ukraine war ukraine front lines Zaporizhzhia NPP