Overview
- IAEA chief Rafael Grossi reports no immediate radiological danger at Zaporizhzhia while diesel generators operate, warning the arrangement is not sustainable and fuel on site covers a little over ten days.
- Ukraine says Russian strikes severed power lines and are blocking repairs, while the Russian-controlled operator and the Kremlin insist the facility is under control.
- The current outage began on September 23 and is the plant’s longest external power cut since Russian forces seized the site, marking the tenth such loss of off-site power since 2022.
- Satellite analysis and NGO reporting, including Greenpeace and the New York Times, indicate Russia has built new transmission pylons that could enable a connection to a Russian-controlled grid, a move Ukraine argues would facilitate a de facto takeover.
- Separately, Ukraine’s Energy Ministry says the New Safe Confinement at Chernobyl lost external power after a Russian bombardment, with Zelensky calling Russia a global threat as technicians work to restore electricity.