Ukraine’s nuclear power operator said on Friday it has reestablished its link with surveillance systems at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhia, occupied by Russian forces.
The UN atomic watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said it urgently wants to inspect the facility in southern Ukraine, but Ukrainian officials oppose such a visit as long as Russian forces remain under control.
Communication with the power plant consisting of six reactors was interrupted for the second time.
Ukrainian state agency Energoatom said on its Telegram channel that it had reestablished the connection “through its own efforts”.
The connection was interrupted “due to the fact that the slums in Enerhodar (UAEA) cut off all Ukrainian mobile operators, including Vodavone, with which it has a contract for data transmission,” he said.
All “mandatory tracking data is being transmitted” and the IAEA has confirmed receipt, Energoatom reported.
The IAEA said earlier this week that the loss of communications links “only adds to the urgency of sending this mission to Zaporizhzhia.”
Russian forces invaded Ukraine on February 24 and occupied the facility in early March after bombing near the facility caused a fire in one of its buildings.
A Russian deputy prime minister said last month that Moscow hopes to connect the plant to the Russian power grid, but Ukrainian officials said it would take years to connect the station to Russia.
source: Noticias
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