Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant loses external power, switches to backup generators

The Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine lost its external electricity supply on Sunday and switched to backup generators for reactor cooling, the plant's management and the UN nuclear watchdog said. No radioactivity was released and radiation levels remained normal. The International Atomic Energy Agency said the Ferosplavna power line disconnected, though the cause and location of the outage are unknown. The plant has enough fuel for emergency diesel generators to operate for about two weeks, and the main Dniprovska line has been unavailable since October 23. Russia seized the six-reactor plant, Europe's largest, in early 2022, and Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly accused each other of actions compromising nuclear safety. A local ceasefire brokered by the IAEA in September had aimed to restore external power after an outage since August 20.