Zaporizhzhia: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Thursday that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant lost all off-site power after an attack on an electrical substation. The outage occurred Wednesday night following an attack on the other side of the Dnipro River, the agency said on US social media platform X.
According to Anadolu Agency, 'The latest loss of off-site power once again highlights the extreme fragility of the electrical grid and the constant dangers to nuclear safety during the war,' IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stated. The facility is currently operating on emergency diesel generators to provide cooling for its six shut-down reactors and support other critical nuclear safety systems.
The incident marked the 19th time all off-site power at the plant has been cut since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war. The agency reported that the latest outage involved the loss of the Ferosplavna-1 330-kilovolt backup power line. Preparations are underway to repair the plant's main 750-kilovolt Dniprovska power line, which has been out of service since March 24. The work is being carried out under a localized ceasefire agreed by both Russia and Ukraine to restore a second external power connection to the facility.
The IAEA warned that reliance on a single external power line leaves the plant highly vulnerable to further disruptions caused by the conflict. The situation around Zaporizhzhia, Europe's largest nuclear power plant and one of the world's 10 largest, remains tense amid persistent concerns over a potential nuclear disaster, with Moscow and Kyiv frequently accusing each other of carrying out attacks around the facility.
Grossi reiterated the urgent need for military restraint to prevent a nuclear accident. Since Sept. 1, 2022, IAEA personnel have been stationed at the plant, which has been under Russian control since March 2022. Earlier Thursday, the Russian-installed management of the plant confirmed the loss of external power, saying measures were being taken to maintain the safe operation of the facility's power units. It added that radiation levels at the site were within natural limits and did not exceed established standards. Meanwhile, Ukraine's power grid operator Ukrenergo also confirmed the power cut, saying the disconnection occurred during an air raid alert triggered by Russian shelling.