Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, stated that the Zaporizhzhia NPP experienced the longest communication outage amid reports of increased military activity nearby. His words are quoted on the IAEA website.
The agency added that on Wednesday, the ZNPP had no landline phone lines or internet connection for about 12 hours, marking the longest such incident at the plant since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"The reason for the outage was not immediately clear, but it coincided with reports of shelling in the city of Enerhodar, where most of the plant's staff live. This is another reminder of the constant challenges associated with ensuring nuclear safety and physical security, as well as preventing accidents during conflict at the ZNPP, at Ukraine's operating NPPs, and at the Chornobyl NPP," the IAEA noted.
The agency emphasized that recently there have been repeated power outages in the area of the plant due to hostilities.
"Incidents affecting critical electrical infrastructure directly contradict the seven indispensable pillars and once again underscore the extreme vulnerability of the external power supply situation in Ukraine. Protecting substations and grid connections must remain a priority to maintain stable and reliable power supply to nuclear facilities," Grossi said.
He stated that stable diesel fuel supplies remain crucial for maintaining the reactor cooling system and backup power supply at the ZNPP.
The agency also reported that the IAEA team at the Chornobyl NPP was informed that 20 drones were detected in the facility's observation zone over the past week.
Situation at the ZNPP - latest news
Earlier, the IAEA reported that some equipment at the ZNPP failed as a result of a Russian attack. It was noted that a group of IAEA experts visited the ZNPP Laboratory the day after the plant was attacked by a drone.
"The experts recorded damage to part of the laboratory's meteorological equipment, which is no longer functioning," the report added.
It was also reported that a drone attacked the laboratory near the ZNPP. No information on casualties was received. It is also unknown whether the strike caused damage to the laboratory, which is located outside the perimeter of the Zaporizhzhia NPP.
