The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has alerted the international community to the latest safety breach at Ukraine’s Zaporizhizhia nuclear power station when it temporarily lost the connection on 23 May to its sole remaining 750 kV offsite power line, according to a statement by the UN’s nuclear watchdog.

IAEA director-general Rafael Grossi said that this happened “due to a reported short circuit, leaving the plant reliant on a single backup line for more than three hours, which underlines the extremely precarious nuclear safety and security situation at the ZNPP” during the armed conflict since Russia took over the plant in March 2022.

The disconnection of the 750 kV Dniprovska line happened around six kilometres away from the station’s 750 kV open switchyard, in Russian-controlled territory for about three hours.