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[INTERNATIONAL] · Ukraine, Russia · 4 sources

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Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Faces 23rd Power Outage Amid Conflict

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest, lost its external electricity supply for about two hours on 1 August 2026, marking the 23rd such outage since the war began. The failure occurred after the last remaining external line, Ferosplavna‑1, ceased operating, forcing the plant’s emergency diesel generators to automatically power critical cooling and control systems.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi warned that the incident highlights an "extremely fragile" nuclear safety situation. Rosatom Director General Alexei Liyachov reported recent Ukrainian attacks near the site, including a drone strike that landed metres from the reactor hall of unit 3. The plant remains shut down but continues to require a permanent electricity source to keep reactors and spent‑fuel pools cooled. The International Atomic Energy Agency is closely monitoring the situation and stresses the importance of uninterrupted external power for nuclear safety.

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Alexei Liyachov · International Atomic Energy Agency · Rafael Grossi · Rosatom · Ukraine · Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

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