Ukraine warns Russia: Power lines will be cut when nuclear power plant is connected to Crimea – “are ready”

Created: 08/10/2022, 20:05

By: Andreas Schmid

In the Ukraine war, there is daily news about the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

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Enerhodar - "I think our armed forces will be ready for this if necessary," the head of the state-owned nuclear power plant operator Enerhoatom Petro Kotin told the RBK-Ukrayina agency on Wednesday (August 10).

"In addition" means cutting the power lines of the Ukrainian nuclear power plant (NPP) Zaporizhia.

Should Russia disconnect the nuclear power plant from the Ukrainian grid and connect it to the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula, Ukraine would be prepared to end the power supply.

War in Ukraine: Ukraine warns Russia against nuclear power plant connection to Crimea

As Kotin points out, Russia has long harbored the intention of connecting the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant to Crimea.

"To do this, the power plant must be completely disconnected from the Ukrainian energy system and connected to the line that connects Crimea to the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant," explained the 61-year-old.

In this case, Kotin continues, the power lines will be shot at.

If the power plant failed, the power supply for the entire Russian-occupied south would be at risk.

In March 2022, Russia managed to seize the largest European nuclear power plant, Zaporizhia.

Since then, there have been many calls for the Russian troops to be withdrawn from the nuclear power plant and for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to make it unrestrictedly accessible.

The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is located in an area under Russian military control in south-eastern Ukraine.

(Archive image) © Russian Defense Ministry/AP/dpa

"Russia is breaking all international requirements for the safe operation of nuclear power plants and is deliberately using the risk of a nuclear meltdown as a means of pressure," criticized MdB Jürgen Trittin and Robin Wagener (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) at the time, which made it clear that "nuclear power plants do not offer security in the event of war, but instead multiply the risks for the population.”

Kotin also said that Ukrainian troops would shell power lines if Russia connected the nuclear power plant to its grid.

If the power plant failed, the power supply for the entire Russian-occupied south would be at risk.