--- title: "One Million Russians Lose Power When Alarm Goes Off at Nuclear Plant" description: "While heat waves batter Europe, a million people in Southern Russia went without power due to a nuclear false alarm." date: "2024-07-18" modified: "2024-07-18" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/russia-nuclear-false-alarm" categories: - "Energy" - "Nuclear Fusion" - "Renewable Energy" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "electricity" - "nuclear plant" - "Russia" - "the digest" --- # One Million Russians Lose Power When Alarm Goes Off at Nuclear Plant ![While heat waves batter Europe, a million people in Southern Russia went without power due to a nuclear false alarm.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## My Bad While heat waves [batter Europe]() and the [rest of the world](), a million people in Southern Russia lost power due to a nuclear false alarm. As [*Radio Free Europe* reports]() based on statements from Russian energy authorities, the power outage at the region's Rostav nuclear plant, which supplies electricity to the entire Southern Federal District and occupied Crimea, was the result of a shutdown mechanism being activated in error. In a [Telegram statement]() cited by *RFE*, Russia's Rosenergoatom nuclear energy operator admitted that a "protection mechanism was triggered" due to a "false alarm." As a result, one of the Rostav plant's four power units was turned off, and an estimated one million people in Russia and Crimea — which Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed in 2014 — lost power. ## Hot Ones As of now, it's unclear what exactly the so-called "false alarm" is about, or whether electricity has been restored to those without it. Nevertheless, it comes at a horrible time for the country, which like the rest of the globe is experiencing unprecedented heatwaves that have resulted in blackouts as people use more energy than ever on air conditioning. "Electricity consumption in the country increased by 9 percent in the second week of July compared to the previous week — electricity is used primarily for air conditioning and cooling systems," explained Valery Andrianov, an associate professor at Moscow's Financial University, told the Russian-language newspaper *Izvestia*, [per *Newsweek*](). Beyond the heat and the apparent false alarm, attacks on Russian infrastructure by a barrage of Ukrainian drones at the end of June also resulted in power outages. It appears Ukraine's military took a note out of Russia's playbook in its offensive in the country, which has long involved the[ targeting of critical infrastructure](), including power plants. **More on power:** [*Electricity Prices in France Just Turned Negative Because of Renewables*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()