--- title: "Battle-Scarred Ukraine Nuclear Plant Cooling Systems Hanging by a Thread, Officials Say" description: "The situation at the Russia-controlled Zaporizhzhia power plant — the Ukrainian nuclear power plant at the war's front lines — is bad. Really bad." date: "2022-09-10" modified: "2022-09-10" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/ukraine-nuclear-plant-thread" categories: - "Energy" - "Nuclear Fusion" - "Renewable Energy" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "nuclear power" - "nuclear power plant" - "the digest" - "ukraine" --- # Battle-Scarred Ukraine Nuclear Plant Cooling Systems Hanging by a Thread, Officials Say ![The situation at the Russia-controlled Zaporizhzhia power plant — the Ukrainian nuclear power plant at the war's front lines — is bad. Really bad.]() *\Image: Getty Images\* ## Not Good Put bluntly, the situation at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is bad. Really bad. *The New York Times* [reports that]() shelling around the Russia-controlled plant has destroyed the power infrastructure fueling the surrounding town of Enerhodar, where the facility's dogged workers reside — leading to widespread blackouts, no running water or sewage, and, dangerously, no offsite power for the reactor's cooling and safety systems. "This is an unsustainable situation and is becoming increasingly precarious," Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director general of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, [said in a statement]() calling for a safe zone to be established around the facility. "The power plant has no offsite power," he continued. "And we have seen that once infrastructure is repaired, it is damaged once again." ## Backup This isn't the only time that the plant has been cut off from external power in recent weeks. According to the *NYT*, the plant lost connection to offsite power for the first time in it history back on August 25, when fighting severed high voltage cables between Zaporizhzhia and a close-by fossil fuel pant. Engineers were able to fix the line 14 hours later, though the plant had to rely on its backup diesel generators in the meantime. But [the volatile situation has only gotten worse](), and this cable and others have again been severed. While the plant remains operational, it's relying on that reserve diesel system once more — which, as the *NYT* points out, is particularly hazardous in a war zone, where conflict can limit access to fuel and other supplies. Even if fuel was easier to obtain, however, this isn't a normal way for a plant to operate. The *NYT* reports that the plant has never relied on security measures for more than a few hours, let alone several days in a row. All told, it shows the myriad hazards of war breaking out in a nation with active nuclear plants. According to the *NYT*, the plant, not confident that those cables can be fixed again, is considering turning to diesel altogether — something that the UN is very, very concerned about. "This dramatic development demonstrates the absolute imperative to establish a nuclear safety and security protection zone now," Grossi's statement continued. "This is the only way to ensure that we do not face a nuclear accident." **READ MORE:** [*Conditions at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Are 'Unsustainable,' UN Watchdog Warns*]() \[*The New York Times*\] **More on Zaporizhzhia:** [*Fighting Heats up near Ukraine Nuclear Plant*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()