Zaporizhzhia: The head of the UN nuclear watchdog has reported that Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is currently under Russian control, has lost all off-site power. This development has been described as 'extremely precarious' by the agency.

According to Anadolu Agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced on X, quoting Rafael Grossi, that the plant lost all external electricity at 5.36 pm local time (1456GMT). This incident marks the ninth power outage at the facility since the conflict began, and it is the first occurrence since late 2023. The plant is now dependent on its emergency diesel generators, highlighting the critical nuclear safety concerns, Grossi emphasized.

On Wednesday, Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, alleged that Ukrainian forces executed drone attacks on the plant in the preceding week and urged the IAEA to take action. Zakharova expressed disappointment at the IAEA Secretariat's silence regarding these actions by Kyiv and emphasized Russia's intention to demand that international organizations, including the IAEA and the United Nations, properly evaluate what she termed as the criminal acts of the Kyiv regime.

It is noteworthy that Ukraine was the site of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, which occurred when it was part of the USSR.