BERLIN, May 15. /TASS/. The nuclear safety of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) is still under threat due to an unstable external power supply, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said.

According to him, the external power supply "has been the main Achilles heel" of the ZNPP nuclear safety throughout the Ukrainian conflict. "The situation has, unfortunately, not improved in this regard. Our experts on the ground will continue to monitor developments very closely and we will continue to inform the world about nuclear safety and security at the plant, which remains precarious," the IAEA press service quoted Grossi as saying.

According to the IAEA chief, the plant "has for more than a week relied on a single power line to supply the electricity it needs for essential nuclear safety functions." Grossi also said that the connection to the backup line cannot currently be restored due to military activity in the area.

A high-voltage 330kW power supply line, known as Ferrosplavnaya-1, which feeds the ZNPP, was shut down on May 7 to protect the plant. The NPP's own needs are now powered from the 750 kW line, known as Dnepropetrovskaya.