Ukraine: Zaporizhzhia plant off the grid following Russian strikes

Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has been cut off from regular power supply following a massive wave of Russian missile strikes across the country, according to the operators.

The Russian-occupied plant in the southern city of Enerhodar is now being supplied via emergency diesel generators, Ukrainian nuclear operator Energoatom said on Telegram on Thursday morning, adding that fuel supplies could last for 10 days.

This is the sixth time since Russia invaded Ukraine more than a year ago that the nuclear power plant has had to go into emergency operation, according to the operator.

In a post on Facebook, Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko spoke of a "barbaric, massive" Russian attack. Several Ukrainian cities have reported missile strikes targeting energy infrastructure since the early morning, including the capital Kiev and in the regions of Odessa and Kharkiv.

A spokesman for Russia's nuclear power plant operator Rosenergoatom confirmed that the Zaporizhzhia plant had been disconnected from the regular power grid and accused Ukraine of cutting off the supply for no apparent reason, according to Russian news agency Interfax.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, has been under Russian control for nearly a year.