Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of putting Europe "one step away" from a radiation disaster after Moscow's missile strikes caused the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to be disconnected from the power grid.
The power plant, which is currently under Russian control, was disconnected from the power grid for the first time in its history on Thursday. While the power supply to the plant has been restored, the six reactors remained disconnected from Ukraine's energy grid on Thursday evening local time, said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Potential Radiation Disaster
Ukraine's nuclear operator Energoatom added that fires at a nearby thermal power plant caused the nuclear plant's last remaining power line to disconnect twice. The plant's three other lines had been "lost earlier during the conflict."
Energoatom pointed the blame at Russia, saying, "The actions of the invaders caused a complete disconnection of the ZNPP from the power grid, the first in the history of the plant. However, the Russian-installed regional governor blamed Ukrainian military action for the outages, adding that "work was underway to restore the power supply to the region and launch the second power unit," as per CNN.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is responsible for generating roughly 20% of Ukraine's electricity, which means that an extended disconnection from the national grid would become a huge challenge for the country as colder weather approaches.
The nuclear plant, which is the largest in Europe, has been controlled by Moscow since March when its forces defeated the defending Ukrainian troops. Clashes around the complex have sparked widespread concern and fears of a radiation disaster.
According to Sky News, Zelensky argued that if Ukrainian staff had not reacted after the blackout, then the region would have been forced to feel the consequences of a radiation accident. He said that the world narrowly avoided a catastrophe that was brought on by Russian forces at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Russia's Aggressive Actions
The Ukrainian leader said that backup diesel generators had started to ensure power supply to the plant and keep the complex safe. "If our station staff had not reacted after the blackout, then we would have already been forced to overcome the consequences of a radiation accident," Zelensky said in his nightly address.
The situation comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree that ordered the increase of its military armed forces. The strongman instructed the addition of 137,000 service members to the country's military, an increase of roughly 14%, bringing the total number of personnel to 1,150,628.
Now, Pentagon officials have estimated that about 80,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded since the beginning of the conflict. The Kremlin has said that only volunteer contract soldiers are taking part in what it has called a "special military operation" to demilitarize Ukraine.
All Russian men aged 18 to 27 are required to serve one year in the country's military but many avoid the draft for health reasons or deferments granted to university students. The number of men who avoid the draft is particularly large in Moscow and other major cities, USA Today reported.
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