Ukraine rejects Russia's plan to connect Zaporizhzhia nuke plant to its electricity grid

As the Russia-Ukraine war has entered its 87th day, Moscow's intention to link a massive Ukrainian nuclear power plant to the Russian electrical grid has been rejected by Ukraine as "wishful thinking". The massive Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant which is located near the Dnieper River in southern Ukraine is the largest nuclear facility in Europe. Even though the Ukrainian personnel are still in charge of the plant, Russia has dispatched nuclear specialists to supervise their work, BBC reported.  

Further, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin has promised to sell power from it to Ukraine. According to Khusnullin, if Kyiv refuses to pay for the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant's power, Russia will incorporate it into its energy infrastructure. He asserted during a visit to Russian-occupied southern Ukraine on May 18 that "if the Ukrainian energy system is ready to receive (electricity) and pay for it, then we will work, but if not - then the plant will work for Russia."

According to a BBC report, in normal circumstances, the facility produces over half of Ukraine's nuclear power and 20% of the nation's overall electrical supply. However, only two of the six reactors are now operational. The city of Zaporizhzhia, which is on the other side of the Dnieper, is still under Ukrainian hands. Enerhodar, a community of over 53,000 people constructed in Soviet times to accommodate nuclear employees, is home to the nuclear power plant. 

'Russians can build a power line theoretically, but it will take a long time': Energoatom

Referring to the statements of Russia’s deputy PM, a spokesperson for Ukraine's official nuclear agency, Energoatom, claimed that connecting the facility to Russia would take years. Leonid Oliynyk told BBC, "The plant only works in Ukraine's energy grid. The Russians can build a power line theoretically, but it will take a long time."

The spokesperson informed that the nuclear power station is currently operating at a reduced capacity, but Kyiv remains in command, and Ukraine controls all electrical connections. Oliynyk added, “The Russian statement is wishful thinking," BBC reported.  

Furthermore, the Zaporizhzhia facility was bombarded on March 3 by Russian forces, who eventually gained control of it. According to Energoatom, buildings near one of its reactors were severely damaged. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations nuclear watchdog, stated that radiation levels, as well as reactor safety, were unaffected. 

Following the attack, Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's foreign minister, had warned that if the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station "blows up," its effect would be ten times larger than the size of Chernobyl, as per media reports. The nuclear tragedy at Chernobyl nuclear plant in 1986 is often regarded as the greatest nuclear disaster in history, both in terms of cost and deaths.

(Image: AP)