Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant faces extreme risks amid ongoing conflict

The Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, Europe’s largest nuclear facility, has become a battlefield due to ongoing conflict. The site, which contains six 1,000 MW reactors and significant nuclear waste, has faced power losses, fires, drone attacks, and threats to its water supply. Experts warn that even with reactors shut down, a total loss of power could trigger a meltdown.

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons notes that while a direct hit on a nuclear facility may not cause a nuclear-style explosion, the primary danger is a radiological release. Such an event could cause long-term environmental contamination. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have issued warnings regarding the extreme risks posed by military activities, including missiles, bombs, and drones, in the vicinity of nuclear infrastructure.