Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant loses external power

Elsewhere, Ukrainian forces have recaptured five settlements in the southern Kherson region, military officials said.

A Russian serviceman guards in an area of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station in territory under Russian military control, southeastern Ukraine. File picture: AP Photo, File

The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog has said that a Ukrainian nuclear plant surrounded by Russian troops has lost all external power needed for vital safety systems for the second time in five days.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director-general Rafael Grossi said agency monitors at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant reported the interruption, adding that back-up diesel generators are keeping nuclear safety and security equipment operational.