The nuclear power plant in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhia, occupied by Russian armed forces, does not pose an "immediate danger" while it is operating thanks to "backup diesel generators", the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, said today, quoted by Agence France-Presse, BTA reported.
He stressed that "the largest power plant in Europe has been deprived of external power supply for at least a week, which is the longest case of this type in more than three and a half years of war".
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the situation at the plant "critical", AFP notes.
The plant management informed the IAEA that the site has fuel reserves for more than 10 days of operation, according to the agency's statement.
"It is clear that this situation is not sustainable from a nuclear safety point of view", Grossi said. "Neither side would have an interest in a nuclear accident... I am in constant contact with both sides with the aim of quickly restoring the plant's connection to the electricity grid," he stressed.
Moscow and Kiev have repeatedly accused each other of risking a nuclear disaster by attacking the site, and have shifted responsibility for the latest power outage, AFP recalls. The plant's six reactors, which produced about a fifth of Ukraine's electricity before the war, were shut down after Moscow took control.
But the plant needs electricity to maintain its cooling and safety systems that prevent a nuclear accident, such as a meltdown of the reactor cores.
Since the start of the war, the plant has faced numerous security threats, including frequent bombings in the vicinity, repeated power outages and staff shortages. Located near the city of Energodar, on the banks of the Dnieper River, the nuclear power plant is close to the front line.