Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant was disconnected from the power grid for the first time ever amid fears of a Chornobyl-style disaster, Ukraine’s state energy firm said. Nuclear agency Energoatom said fire damage to overhead power lines caused the last two reactors at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) to be cut off.

An energy official who declined to be identified told Reuters that the two reactors that had been disconnected were being powered by diesel generators. Each power unit that includes a reactor, a cooling system, and other equipment has three Soviet-era diesel generators that “are not able to work for weeks”, the source said.

It comes amid looming fears the site could be the scene of a devastating nuclear disaster as both Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of putting the plant at risk. Satellite images show Putin’s forces massing at the site amid growing calls for Zaporizhzhia to become a demilitarized zone.

Ukraine has accused Russia of torturing Ukrainian nuclear workers at the plant, further compromising safety at the plant. Energoatom said the plant has now been disconnected from the network for the “first time in its history” after a fire at ash pits close to the facility damaged incoming power lines.

It is also reported communication channels around the plant have gone dark – with NetBlocks reporting a massive dip in the region. Bringing the plant totally offline could potentially compromise safety systems and lead to disaster – with the two reactors currently being powered by backup diesel generators, officials told Reuters. (The Sun)