Reservoir levels supplying cooling water to Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant continue to fall: UN watchdog

By Betul Yuruk

UNITED NATIONS (AA) - The level of the reservoir that supplies cooling water to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant continued to fall after the collapse of a major dam, the UN's nuclear watchdog said Friday.

Europe's biggest nuclear power plant has been under Russian military and operational control since March 4, 2022 -- roughly two weeks after it launched its offensive against Ukraine.

Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) present at the facility said the height of the reservoir is continuing to drop at a rate of around 5 centimeters (2 inches) per hour and had reached 11.62 meters (457.4 feet) down from nearly 17 meters before the dam was damaged Tuesday.

“It remains unclear at what height the Kakhovka reservoir will stabilize and whether it will do so before it reaches a level where the pumps can no longer be operated,” IAEA’s Director-General Rafael Grossi said in a statement.

“Even if there is no short-term threat, the dam disaster is causing major new difficulties for the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant at a time when the nuclear safety and security situation is already extremely fragile and potentially dangerous during the military conflict,” he said.

The main sources of alternative water supplies -- the large cooling pond next to the plant and the discharge channel of the nearby plant -- are both full, according to the agency.

Grossi said the IAEA team has been informed that the nuclear plant discharge channel alone has sufficient water to provide the required cooling for several weeks and the cooling pond can supply water for months.

Grossi will travel to Kyiv and to the Zaporizhzhia plant next week to present details of the IAEA's new assistance package.