The Khmelnitski nuclear power station in western Ukraine lost all access to the electricity grid earlier this week due to military attacks in the country, forcing it to temporarily rely on diesel generators for back-up power, International Atomic Energy Agency director-general Rafael Grossi said, citing information he had received from Ukrainian authorities.

The two-unit station’s grid connection was completely lost at 18:35 local time on 15 November, after the site’s four operating power lines were progressively lost over a two-and-a-half-hour period because of missile attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure, Ukraine told the IAEA.

During this period, the two reactors were shut down, halting their delivery of electricity to households, factories and others.