Ukrainian nuclear plant’s longest power outage since war began is ‘critical’ moment

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Concerns are again mounting over the safety of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which has been cut off from an external supply of electricity for more than a week.

Captured by Russian forces early in the war, the facility no longer supplies power to the grid but still needs electricity to cool its six inactive reactors and spent fuel. Emergency generators are currently keeping the systems running.

Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said conditions remain stable for now but warned that restoring reliable external power is vital. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the situation as “critical,” stressing that backup systems were never intended for prolonged use.

Here’s a look at what’s at stake — and what could happe