Power Cut Again at Russian-Occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant; 20th Since War Began

Concerns over the leakage of radioactive materials are rising as another power outage has occurred at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine.

According to Reuters on Saturday, June 20 (local time), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated, "The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has lost its external power supply."

The agency added, "Emergency diesel generators are being operated to provide backup power for reactor core cooling and essential nuclear safety functions."

The IAEA is currently mediating a local ceasefire and working on restoration efforts.

This power outage marks the 20th such incident since Russia launched its surprise invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Although all six reactors at the Zaporizhzhia plant are currently shut down, a continuous power supply is required to operate cooling and safety systems to prevent a "reactor meltdown."

A reactor meltdown can lead to nuclear accidents, such as explosions or the leakage of radioactive materials.

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is the largest in Europe and is currently occupied by Russia.

(Photo: Getty Images Korea)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.