International energy officials reported that a crucial nuclear power plant in Ukraine once more experienced a loss of external power on Saturday, raising concerns about its operations as the prolonged energy crisis between Moscow and the West intensified due to the conflict.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant which is the largest such facility in Europe, had its final main external power line shut off but a reserve connection was still able to continue sending electricity to the grid.
According to the agency’s statement posted on its website, just one of the station’s six reactors was still operational.
Since Russian troops invaded Ukraine in late February, the plant has been under Moscow’s control. Each side accuses the other of shelling the areas nearby, causing damage to the plant.
The disputes over Russian oil and gas exports, meantime, continued this week as the G7 countries established a planned price ceiling on Russian oil exports and Moscow promised to keep its main gas pipeline to Germany shut.
The conflict over energy comes as the region gets ready for the upcoming cold months and is a result of President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine that has stretched beyond six months. It highlights the significant gulf that the invasion has created between Moscow and Western nations.
The prior shutdown of the nuclear reactor was attributed by Zelensky to Russian shelling, and he had claimed that a radiation leak was narrowly avoided.
Energy outages have been attributed by Moscow to Western sanctions and technical difficulties, while European countries have accused Russia of weaponizing supplies as part of its armed invasion.
(with inputs from agencies)
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