Zaporizhia loses its last reactor and Ukraine is left without an electricity grid after the latest bombings

The last block that housed the reactor that remained in operation at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant has been disconnected after the Russian bombardments on Monday have interrupted the power lines, according to the Ukrainian company Energoatom. Thus, Ukraine’s electricity grid is depleted.

The Zaporizhia nuclear plant, the largest in Europe, fell under the control of the Kremlin last March but was still in operation thanks to the work of the operators of the state company Energoatom.

“Today, due to the fire caused by the bombing, the last energy production block has been disconnected,” Energoatom announced in a statement published on Telegram.

“As a result, reactor number sixwhich supplies the energy to cover the needs of the plant, has been discharged and disconnected from the electrical network”adds the notice, which has been released by the agency Reuters.

However, there is conflicting information. An Energoatom spokesperson explained to the aforementioned British agency that reactor six continues to function and supply the plant with the energy it needs to operate despite being disconnected from the electricity grid.

The spokesman claims that the plant has booster diesel generatorswhich supply energy to maintain the cooling process of the pools, but it has not been necessary to turn them on.

continuous attacks

The Zaporizhia plant has been bombed regularly in the past month, with both kyiv and Moscow blaming each other for the attacks.

After this latest bombing, the Ukrainian Minister of Energy, Herman Galushchenko, has warned that it is not possible to repair the line because of the fighting in the area. “The world is once again on the verge of nuclear disaster,” said the minister in his account on Telegram, according to what he collects Eph.

Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky has repeatedly demanded the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops who have controlled the atomic plant for months.

The IAEA mission arrived in Zaporizhia last week, after reaching an agreement with Moscow and kyiv to make possible the work of its experts, led by the Argentine Rafael Grossi. TFollowing the withdrawal of this team, a permanent mission of said UN agency has remained in the plant.composed of two representatives.

The total disconnection this Monday follows the previous interruption at the end of August, also due to the bombing of the region.

Macron appeals to security

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has requested this Monday the withdrawal of Russian troops from Zaporizhia, whose security must be imperatively respected.

Macron explained his position during a telephone conversation with the Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenski, with whom he discussed the mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to that nuclear plant.

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the french leader “reiterated the imperative need to preserve the safety of nuclear facilitieswhich can only come from the withdrawal of Russian forces,” added the French presidential headquarters in a statement collected by Eph.

In addition, Macron asked Zelensky about Ukraine’s military, humanitarian and economic needs and stressed “France’s full support” for the country to regain its territorial sovereignty and security.

The French president also showed his determination to combat “the fracture of the world” created by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Moscow’s “information manipulation” campaign.

On the other hand, Zelenski, in a message posted on his Twitter account, pointed out that the “substantial” conversation with Macron lasted for an hour and a half, and in it he explained to his interlocutor the current situation on the front.