Ukraine announced today that, for security reasons, it is shutting down the last of the six still operating reactors at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is currently occupied by Russian troops. As a result, the power plant was disconnected from the electricity grid and electricity production was stopped.

“Preparations are underway for cooling the reactor and transferring it to the cold state,” Ukraine’s state nuclear agency Energoatom said in a statement. Said.

Europe’s largest nuclear power plant was captured by Russian forces in the early days of their invasion of the neighboring country and was the scene of fierce fighting after local troops attacked to regain control of the plant.

According to Energoatom, the shutdown was possible after the power supply was restored, which was interrupted on Monday due to conflicts in the region. One of the lines connecting the plant to the Ukrainian national power grid was restored Saturday night, allowing the company to shut down the last reactor, the agency said.

Since its closure, the plant has been operated by only one of the six reactors still in operation, powering its security systems. Under normal circumstances, the plant depends on external energy to maintain cooling systems that prevent the reactors from overheating. Cooling failures can cause reactor meltdown and radiation leakage.

An official from Russia’s nuclear agency confirmed that the plant was shut down. The operation took place a few days after the release of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) inspectors’ report on conditions at the site.

The UN mission overseeing the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant warned of safety threats that could result in radiation leaks after reporting “major damage” to some structures.

Worrying situation in Zaporizhzhia

Before the plant’s closure was announced, the presidents of Ukraine and France, Volodymyr Zelensky and Emmanuel Macron, insisted on the need to ensure Zaporizhzhia’s safety and warned of the “very worrying situation” there.

According to Palácio Eliseu, in a phone call, the two presidents reiterated their support for the work of the IAEA, which warned of an “unsustainable situation” at the plant due to the power outage on Friday.

Zelensky and Macron demanded the withdrawal of Russian troops from the region to ensure security in Zaporizhzhia.

On Wednesday, the Ukrainian government asked residents of the Russian-occupied areas near the facility to leave the site to ensure their safety. Moscow and Kyiv accuse each other of bombing the nuclear power plant and risking a nuclear disaster.