Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is Shutdown over a nearby Fire

For the first time in history, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was temporarily cut off from the national grid after a fire at a nearby thermal power plant disrupted its power lines, Ukraine’s State Nuclear Power Agency said on Thursday.

 Kyiv claims Russia has been trying to divert power from the occupied power plant to its own grid. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blamed the destruction on Russian shelling. Meanwhile, in the night speech, he accused Moscow of placing Ukraine and Europe “one step away” from disaster.

 Satellite images taken Wednesday show a large fire burning near the nuclear facility.

 The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned that a secure off-site power supply to the plant is essential to ensure nuclear safety. Ukraine has accused Russia of possibly deliberately trying to disconnect the Zaporizhzhia plant from the Ukrainian power grid in order to reconnect it to the Russian grid.

 Officials in Washington have condemned any efforts by Moscow to divert electricity generated by the Zaporizhzhia plant away from the Kyiv national grid. US state department spokesperson Vedant Patel said Thursday evening that the electricity produced in Zaporizhahia belongs to the nation. Any country should not turn a nuclear power plant into an active war zone.

 The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant supplies one-fifth of Ukraine’s total electricity. Although Russian forces currently control the plant, the electricity it produces belongs to Ukraine. The current forced shutdown of the grid has caused difficulties for Ukraine.