A critical power outage struck the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest nuclear facility, on Friday, raising fresh fears about nuclear safety, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported.

The plant lost all external power for approximately three and a half hours, relying on emergency diesel generators to maintain essential cooling systems for its nuclear fuel.

Though the plant is currently non-operational, a steady power supply remains vital to prevent a potential meltdown. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi confirmed on X that power was restored but warned that “nuclear safety remains extremely precarious in Ukraine” amid ongoing conflict.

Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko attributed the outage to Russian shelling, which severed the plant’s last remaining power line. Ukrainian technicians worked quickly to restore the connection, according to the national energy operator.

This marks the latest in a series of power disruptions at Zaporizhzhia since Russian forces seized control early in the invasion of Ukraine. Nuclear experts caution that repeated outages heighten the risk of a catastrophic accident, particularly if backup systems fail.

The IAEA continues to urge the establishment of a security zone around the plant to safeguard against further incidents, as it closely monitors the volatile situation. (ILKHA)