Russian occupiers hit a substation in Ukraine’s Slavutych, where workers serving the city of Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant live, leaving it without power, according to Mayor Yury Fomichev.

Earlier, Ukraine reported that another facility, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, has been running exclusively on backup diesel generators for over a week due to attempts to reroute the facility to Russia’s state network lines, creating a critical risk of a nuclear disaster.

One of the generators has already failed, and the situation at the plant continues to worsen, as confirmed by both the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the IAEA. Russia is effectively blocking the repair and restoration of the Zaporizhzhia NPP, deliberately exposing Ukraine and Europe to danger.

At the same time, aggression against Slavutych may indicate that Russia is showing it is willing to ignore any safety norms. This could turn the nuclear factor into an instrument of pressure and war, disregarding consequences for people and the environment.

Slavutych, the city of nuclear employees, under fire

Slavutych was built after the Chornobyl disaster for evacuated plant workers. It is located about 46 km from the nuclear plant and had a pre-war population of 25,000. In March 2022, the city in Chernihiv Oblast, bordering on both Russia and Belarus, was under Moscow’s occupation.

Now Russia is attacking the city with Shahed drones.

“We have hits on our 330 kV substation. The city is without power. Consequences are being clarified. Firefighters are working to eliminate the aftermath of the strike and the fire,” Mayor Yury Fomichev reported.

He added that backup power has been activated for the water supply. Water will be available, but on a timed schedule. Resilience points are being deployed, and water is expected to return around 6 PM and 9 PM.