‘Risk of nuclear catastrophe at Europe’s largest reactor

The exiled mayor of neighbouring Enerhodar reveals his fear of an ecological catastrophe to Sam Kiley in Zaporizhzhia

- Sam Kiley

Europe’s biggest nuclear reactor has become a battlefield in Ukraine’s defence against Russian invaders as they risk a catastrophic meltdown in its efforts to connect it to Moscow’s national grid.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP), which has six reactors, was captured by Russian troops early in the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It has remained a dangerous potential flashpoint for a nuclear disaster ever since.

Fighting and bombardments by both sides of the complex and the power station itself, which has been entirely occupied by Russian forces who base troops in its buildings, have forced the “cold shutdown” of the reactors. This means that its nuclear material is not used to generate power but needs to be constantly cooled.

The fighting cut electricity from Ukraine, meaning that the cooling system had to rely entirely on diesel generators and a skeleton staff for a month. Regular power was only restored in the last week, after the longest period the ZNPP had been disconnected from electricity to drive its cooling systems.