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Ukraine Says Russia Plans to Link Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant to Its Grid as Putin Threatens “Mirror Response”
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![Photo of Liubava Petriv]( "Photo of Liubava Petriv")
Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) may have been deliberately disconnected from the national power grid by Russia, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on October 2, in what he described as a potential step to linking the facility to Moscow’s energy system.
“Zaporizhzhia NPP must be seen as a military maneuver. Every step by Russia is not only a deadly risk but a path toward catastrophe. The recent blackout at the Chernobyl NPP, caused by a Russian strike on a substation, demonstrated once again that Moscow is using nuclear safety as a weapon,” Sybiha added.
He also warned of even greater risks ahead: “The next step by Russia will be even more dangerous: operating the reactor under occupation—without proper cooling, without the necessary licenses or oversight procedures. This is an irresponsible move, made solely to demonstrate Putin’s control,” Sybiha said.
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On the same day, Russian leader Vladimir Putin, speaking at the Valdai Club, threatened the safety of Ukrainian nuclear facilities. He accused Ukraine of targeting power lines feeding the Zaporizhzhia plant and warned of retaliatory action.
“Kyiv must consider that there are nuclear power plants on Ukrainian territory, and Russia may respond in kind,” he said.
Meanwhile, a Greenpeace report found no evidence of military strikes near the power lines supplying the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP, suggesting the blackout may have been intentional.
The Zaporizhzhia plant has faced repeated disruptions since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. On September 23, Russian forces damaged a power line supplying the facility from Ukraine’s grid, marking the tenth and longest blackout at the plant to date.
On October 1, Russian attacks on the city of Slavutych left parts of the Chernihiv region without electricity. A blackout also hit the Chernobyl NPP, lasting more than three hours.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that a Russian missile strike on an energy substation in Slavutych caused a blackout lasting more than three hours at facilities of the former Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, raising serious safety concerns.
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