WASHINGTON (Aug. 26, 2022)— On Thursday Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant – the largest in Europe -- was disconnected from the country's power grid for the first time in its history, putting it at risk for catastrophic nuclear failure. As of Friday, power was restored, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video message on Thursday that it was only the plant’s safety systems kicking in with backup power that had averted catastrophe. Diesel fueled-backup generators were activated to supply power to the cooling pumps to stop the fuel from overheating, averting a radiation disaster.
Sharon Squassoni is a research professor at the Institute for International Science and Technology Policy of the Elliott School of International Affairs. She has specialized in nuclear nonproliferation, nuclear energy, nuclear weapons, and nuclear arms control and security policy for three decades, serving in the U.S. government at the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, the State Department, and the Congressional Research Service. She is available to discuss the potential danger the Russian forces caused at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant by cutting off its electrical power.