Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Faces Repeated External Power Outage Amid Russian Occupation

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine suffered another loss of external electricity supply, forcing the facility to rely on diesel generators for about an hour while backup power maintained reactor cooling and radiation safety systems. This incident marks the twelfth external power interruption recorded in 2024 and the 24th since Russian forces seized the plant in March 2022.

Energoatom, the Ukrainian state nuclear operator, warned that any interruption of external power poses a direct safety risk. The International Atomic Energy Agency, which monitors the plant, has repeatedly stressed the need for reliable external electricity to ensure safe operation. All six reactors remain shut down, but they still require power for fuel‑cooling and other safety functions. The plant remains under Russian military control, and Kyiv continues to demand its return to Ukrainian authority.

Repeated outages have heightened concerns about a potential nuclear accident, prompting international scrutiny of the plant’s security and the broader implications for regional nuclear safety.