On this day, 36 years ago, Zaporizhzhia NPP unit 5 was connected to the power grid. This was a significant event for the entire country, contributing to Ukraine's establishment as one of the leading countries in the European region with a developed nuclear power generation sector.
Power unit 5, with a VVER-1000 reactor, is one of the five youngest domestic nuclear power units. For decades, it operated smoothly and safely, generating electricity for Ukrainian families, until the tragic date for the Zaporizhzhia NPP – March 4, 2022 – when russian occupiers captured the power plant.
The disorder and chaos brought about by russian arbitrariness at the Zaporizhzhia NPP is still ongoing.
The Ukrainian nuclear power plant has been turned into a russian military base, with equipment degradation worsening every day, water reserves for reactor cooling decreasing to critical levels, and threats to nuclear and radiation safety being created.
The previously flawlessly operating ZNPP unit 5 was shut down and, for some time, was barbarically exploited by the occupiers in a beyond design basis mode of steam production instead of electricity, until it was finally shut down on March 21, 2023, due to safety issues. Since then, it has been waiting for the end of the russian chaos and its return to the control of the Ukrainian operator, JSC “NNEGC “Energoatom”.
This will definitely happen! Time will come when the Ukrainian flag will fly over our Zaporizhzhia NPP and Energoatom's skilled professionals will bring unit 5 as part of the entire nuclear power plant back to life!
Happy birthday, Fifth! Wait for us, the time is coming!
