Ukraine's Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Suffered Power Outage

A Ukrainian serviceman loads a shell into a Partyzan small multiple rocket launch system before firing toward Russian troops at a position near a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine November 7, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer
A Ukrainian serviceman loads a shell into a Partyzan small multiple rocket launch system before firing toward Russian troops at a position near a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine November 7, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer
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Ukraine's Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Suffered Power Outage

A Ukrainian serviceman loads a shell into a Partyzan small multiple rocket launch system before firing toward Russian troops at a position near a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine November 7, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer
A Ukrainian serviceman loads a shell into a Partyzan small multiple rocket launch system before firing toward Russian troops at a position near a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine November 7, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer

Ukraine's Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant lost its power supply after the last remaining line to it from Ukrainian-controlled territory was disrupted, but it has since been repaired, the energy ministry said on Saturday.
The plant was occupied by Russia in March 2022 and is no longer generating power, but needs a supply of electricity to cool one of its four reactors which is in a state of 'hot conservation' - meaning it has not fully been shut down, Reuters reported.
According to a statement published by Ukraine's energy ministry on Telegram, one power line to the plant was disrupted late on Friday, while the last, 750 kW, line was broken at 2:31 a.m. (0031 GMT) on Saturday.
"This is the eighth blackout which occurred at the (Zaporizhzhia plant) and could have led to nuclear catastrophe," the statement said.
The ministry said that after losing grid connection the plant turned on 20 backup generators to supply its own electricity needs.
It said that at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) Ukrainian specialists repaired the 750 kW line which was now bringing power to the plant once more.



Traffic on French High-Speed Trains Gradually Improving after Sabotage

Workers operate to reconnect the signal box to the track in its technical ducts in Vald' Yerres, near Chartres on July 26, 2024, as France's high-speed rail network was hit by an attack disrupting the transport system, hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. (AFP)
Workers operate to reconnect the signal box to the track in its technical ducts in Vald' Yerres, near Chartres on July 26, 2024, as France's high-speed rail network was hit by an attack disrupting the transport system, hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. (AFP)
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Traffic on French High-Speed Trains Gradually Improving after Sabotage

Workers operate to reconnect the signal box to the track in its technical ducts in Vald' Yerres, near Chartres on July 26, 2024, as France's high-speed rail network was hit by an attack disrupting the transport system, hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. (AFP)
Workers operate to reconnect the signal box to the track in its technical ducts in Vald' Yerres, near Chartres on July 26, 2024, as France's high-speed rail network was hit by an attack disrupting the transport system, hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. (AFP)

Traffic on France's TGV high-speed trains was gradually returning to normal on Saturday after engineers worked overnight repairing sabotaged signal stations and cables that caused travel chaos on Friday, the opening day of the Paris Olympic Games.

In Friday's pre-dawn attacks on the high-speed rail network vandals damaged infrastructure along the lines connecting Paris with cities such as Lille in the north, Bordeaux in the west and Strasbourg in the east. Another attack on the Paris-Marseille line was foiled, French rail operator SNCF said.

There has been no immediate claim of responsibility.

"On the Eastern high-speed line, traffic resumed normally this morning at 6:30 a.m. while on the North, Brittany and South-West high-speed lines, 7 out of 10 trains on average will run with delays of 1 to 2 hours," SNCF said in a statement on Saturday morning.

"At this stage, traffic will remain disrupted on Sunday on the North axis and should improve on the Atlantic axis for weekend returns," it added.

SNCF reiterated that transport plans for teams competing in the Olympics would be guaranteed.