FILE PHOTO: A Russian service member stands guard at a checkpoint near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant before the arrival of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expert mission in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict outside Enerhodar in the Zaporizhzhia region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, June 15, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko/File Photo
KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant again lost connection to its last remaining main external power line overnight and was switched to a reserve line, state-owned power generating company Energoatom said on Thursday.
Energoatom said that Europe's largest nuclear power plant was on the verge of a blackout as the reserve line had less than half of the power capacity of the main power line.
"Such a regime is difficult for the reactor plant, its duration is limited by the project's design and it can result in failure of the main equipment of the energy unit," Energoatom said on Telegram.
Zaporizhizhia nuclear power plant with its six reactors has been controlled by the Russian military since the early days of Moscow's invasion in February 2022.
The plant has become one of the focal points of the conflict, with both sides blaming each other for shelling around the plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been trying to set up a safety mechanism to prevent accidents.
None of the plant's six reactors produce electricity.
(Reporting by Olena Harmash; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
