MOSCOW, September 17. /TASS/. Ukraine systematically de-energizes the external power supply lines of the Zaporozhye nuclear power station, simulating military damage to create tension and paralyze the plant in acts of nuclear terrorism, said Renat Karcha, a nuclear expert, advisor to the Crimea head, and a Legislative Assembly of the Zaporozhye Region deputy.

He explained that stable external energy supply is necessary for the safe operation of the plant.

"There were several main power supply lines of the station. There were reserve lines. Today there are only two left - Ferrosplavnaya and Dneprovskaya. The Kiev regime systematically stops electricity supply for various periods of time, first on one line, then on the second line, or even leaves the station without external power supply, arranging blackouts. And they have one invariable answer: the lines are broken by fire strikes. But in fact, they are engaged in nothing more than nuclear terrorism with elements of blackmail. Their goal is to maintain permanent tension. This tension poses a direct threat to the nuclear safety and is fraught with at least a nuclear incident," Karcha told TASS.

He is sure that partially for this purpose the Ukrainian army shelled the area of fuel depots for emergency diesel generators, which turn on when the station loses external power.

On September 16, the Ukrainian army fired artillery at the area of diesel fuel depots at the nuclear power plant, and a fire broke out 400 meters from the tanks. The radiation background is within the normal range, there are no casualties among the station staff. The fire is extinguished, the tanks are not damaged. The destruction of reserve fuel will deprive nuclear power plants of the last source of energy for reactor cooling, the consequences of which will be catastrophic and irreversible.

For the fifth month now, the station has been powered by the only high-voltage external power supply line Dneprovskaya, which comes from Ukraine. A blackout occurred on July 4. Due to the shutdown of the last line, the NPP lost external power supply, and its own needs were ensured by diesel generators. A few hours later, the Dneprovskaya line was put into operation, and the external power supply to the station was restored.