Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on October 1 accused Russia of intentionally creating a risk of nuclear incidents after a drone attack cut off power to the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear power station for three hours.
More than 20 drones took part in the attack on the nearby town of Slavutych, cutting power to the nuclear plant, including the concrete structure over the reactor that was damaged in the 1986 explosion, Zelenskyy said on X. The structure, often referred to as a sarcophagus, protects the environment from radioactive debris and dust and is a storage facility for spent nuclear fuel.
"The Russians could not have been unaware that striking facilities in Slavutych would have such consequences for Chernobyl," he said.
Some of the drones were shot down, he said, adding that the attack "was specifically executed...to complicate the facility’s defense."
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said power to the protective shelter is now being provided by two diesel generators and the plant's other three reactors had been rerouted to another line.
Zelenskyy also said Moscow was doing nothing to fix a power situation at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant and the head of the IAEA and the rest of the world were not doing enough.
"Russia is intentionally creating a risk of radiological incidents, taking advantage, unfortunately, of the weak stance of the IAEA and Director General Rafael Grossi, as well as the dispersed global attention," he said.
In addition to the nuclear facilities at Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine has five nuclear power plants, and each of them could become a target for Russian drones and missiles, Zelenskyy said.
Grossi said on September 30 that the IAEA was working with Ukraine and Russia to enable the restoration of offsite power to the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine. The plant on September 23 suffered its tenth complete loss of offsite power since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
Grossi said he was "in constant contact with the two sides with the aim to enable the plant’s swift reconnection to the electricity grid."
"While the plant is currently coping thanks to its emergency diesel generators -- the last line of defense -- and there is no immediate danger as long as they keep working, it is clearly not a sustainable situation in terms of nuclear safety," he said in a statement.
Grossi said both sides noted military activity had prevented them from carrying out necessary repairs.
"I strongly encourage both sides to work with us and enable these essential repairs to take place," he said.
Russian officials have not commented on the latest statements on conditions at the plant. The Moscow-installed management of the plant denied any problems with the generators.
Zelenskyy said on September 30 that the situation was extraordinary.
"The generators and the plant were not designed for this, have never operated in this mode for long, and we already have information that one generator has failed,” he said on X.
IAEA representatives at the power plant confirmed that emergency diesel generators had begun operating to provide the plant with electricity.
Zaporizhzhya, Europe’s largest nuclear plant, was seized by Russian troops shortly after Moscow launched its invasion in February 2022. The plant’s nuclear reactors have been shut down, but the plant still requires electricity to maintain safety functions such as cooling the reactors.
The IAEA has played a role in safeguarding the condition of Ukraine's nuclear power plants, and inspectors from the agency are on site to monitor safety. Grossi has repeatedly warned about the risk of a nuclear accident caused by fighting taking place near the plant and has held talks with both sides to try to ease tensions around the plant.
