Ukraine's Largest Nuclear Plant is Cut Off Energy Grid

Ukraine's largest nuclear power plant was cut off from the country's electricity grid, setting off a mass power outage in the adjacent area after fires damaged its last functioning transmission line, Ukraine's nuclear power company said Thursday. From a report: The incident renewed fears about safety at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP), which is also the largest atomic energy plant in Europe and is located in an area now occupied by invading Russian forces. Fighting in the vicinity of the plant has led to acute worries of a potential catastrophe and to calls from many world leaders for U.N. nuclear experts to be allowed to visit the site. Russian and Ukrainian officials traded blame for shelling at the plant, which they said had resulted in the disconnection from the power grid -- the first time it has ever been cut off. Officials, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, have warned that such a disconnection itself could lead to an extremely dangerous situation by disrupting the plant's normal operation and potentially making it difficult to cool the reactors. "The actions of the invaders caused a complete disconnection of the ZNPP from the power grid -- for the first time in the history of the plant," Ukraine's nuclear energy company, Energoatom, said in a statement.

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