The last reactor at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine has been shut down as fighting continues in the area for the third year.
This means all of the plant’s six reactor units are now in a cold shutdown state. No radioactivity escaped during the procedure, the facility’s management wrote on Telegram on Saturday.
The work was carried out strictly in accordance with all applicable operating standards, the Russian-installed management emphasized.
The largest nuclear power plant in Europe, with a capacity of almost six gigawatts, was occupied by Russian troops shortly after the Kremlin-ordered invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
It was extensively mined and came under fire several times, stoking international concern about a potential nuclear accident.
Both warring parties repeatedly accused each other of trying to provoke an incident at the plant, which was shut down in September 2022 due to the danger.
However, one block operated in a warm state on several occasions, meaning the reactor does not produce electricity but steam, which is used for the plant’s needs.
The cold state is considered the safest as the blocks are run down to low pressure and are cooled by cold water.