The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported a significant communication failure at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant this week, coinciding with heightened military activity in the vicinity. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi confirmed that the plant experienced a 12-hour disruption of both landline and internet services, marking the longest such incident since the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Grossi noted that the cause of the outage remains unclear, but it occurred alongside reports of attacks near Enerhodar, the city housing most of the plant’s staff. For several hours, the IAEA was unable to reach its team of experts stationed at the facility, which also faced challenges in communicating with the outside world.
“This was undoubtedly a very concerning event from a nuclear safety and security perspective. The IAEA team will continue to investigate the reasons for this communication failure and discuss ways to prevent its recurrence,”
Grossi stated. Reports indicate that Enerhodar has experienced multiple interruptions to its electricity supply over the past week due to ongoing military operations.
Since 2022, all six reactors at the Zaporizhzhia plant have been in a state of cold shutdown. The IAEA maintains a continuous presence at the site to oversee safety amid ongoing shelling. Russian forces captured the plant in the early weeks of their invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Currently, the facility does not generate electricity, and both Ukraine and Russia frequently accuse each other of military actions that threaten nuclear safety.
The IAEA has reported a prolonged communication failure at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, coinciding with increased military activity nearby. The incident raises concerns regarding nuclear safety and security, as the agency investigates the causes of the disruption.