KYIV (Reuters) – The final working reactor block of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant disconnected from Ukraine’s grid after Russian shelling disrupted power lines on Monday, Ukraine’s Energoatom said.
Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, the largest in Europe, was captured by Moscow in March, but is still operated by state nuclear company Energoatom’s staff.
“Today, as a result of a fire caused by shelling, the (last working) transmission line was disconnected,” Energoatom said in a statement on Telegram on Monday.
“As a result, (reactor) unit No. 6, which currently supplies the (plant’s) own needs, was unloaded and disconnected from the grid,” the statement said.
The plant’s territory has been regularly shelled over the past month, with Kyiv and Moscow trading blame.
Ukraine has also repeatedly accused Russia of basing troops and military equipment at the power station.
Two reactors at the plant, number five and six, remain in use but are currently disconnected from the grid. They have suffered repeated disconnections due to shelling over the last fortnight.
(Reporting by Max Hunder, Editing by Louise Heavens, William Maclean)
