Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant reconnected to external power from Ukraine

Russian engineers have reconnected the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to external electrical power from Ukraine, ending a month-long emergency. The connection was made after Ukrainian partisans attacked substations behind the lines, damaging a high-voltage connection that ran from the plant to Mariupol and the Russian grid. Russia had hoped to reconnect the site on October 7 as a birthday present for Vladimir Putin, but the effort was foiled by the attack. The plant's six reactors are in a state of cold shutdown, relying on backup generators to supply electricity necessary for cooling. The reconnection was made possible after Ukraine agreed to a temporary local ceasefire brokered by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The IAEA confirmed that the reconnection had been completed, with Director General Rafael Grossi describing it as a rare good day for nuclear safety and security in Ukraine and beyond.

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