The New York TimesThe New York Times

Ukraine nuclear plant pulled off line after shelling kindles blaze

By Marc Santora, Ivan Nechepurenko and Matthew Mpoke Bigg

05 Sep 2022 · 6 min read

Editor's Note

Shelling near Europe’s largest nuclear-power plant has led to its disconnection from the power grid. The NYT reports on how the presence of U.N. experts hasn’t stopped conditions from deteriorating.

KYIV, Ukraine — A fire caused by renewed shelling near Europe’s largest nuclear power plant led to its disconnection from the national power grid Monday, Ukrainian officials said, raising fears that despite the presence of U.N. inspectors, conditions at the Russian-occupied facility could deteriorate quickly and threaten a catastrophe.

The fire forced the staff to sever the plant’s last connection to a reserve line that was providing its only source of outside power, once again placing critical cooling systems at risk of relying solely on emergency backup power, Herman Galushchenko, Ukraine’s energy minister, said Monday.

Sign in to informed

  • Curated articles from premium publishers, ad-free
  • Concise Daily Briefs with quick-read summaries
  • Read, listen, save for later, or enjoy offline
  • Enjoy personalized content
Or

LoginForm.agreeToTerms