Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant hit by 16th blackout this year, switches to generators

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant lost external power at 2:36 AM on November 8, marking the 16th blackout this year, forcing the facility to rely on backup diesel generators. This poses a critical threat to nuclear and radiation safety. The loss occurred when the last operating 330 kV line, "Ferroalloy-1," failed, and an automatic reconnection attempt was unsuccessful. Energoatom stated that a failure or exhaustion of the diesel generators could lead to a radiation accident due to disrupted cooling of nuclear fuel. Energoatom attributes the recurring outages to the plant's occupation, stating that safety can only be restored if Ukraine regains full control. This follows Russia's recent issuance of a license to operate the plant's sixth reactor, which Ukraine deems illegal.