Ukraine warns of critical situation at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

(Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday the situation at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station had become critical, with Russian shelling preventing restoration of power needed to cool the reactors and prevent a meltdown.

Zelenskiy, speaking in his nightly video address, said one of the diesel generators providing emergency power was no longer working, seven days after external power lines went down.

“This is the seventh day. There has never before been such an emergency situation at the Zaporizhzhia plant. The situation is critical. Russian shelling has cut the plant off from the electricity network,” Zelenskiy said.

The Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe’s largest with six reactors, was seized by Russian troops in the first weeks of Russia’s Februa