The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, which is under Russian control, was again left without an external power supply on Sunday, November 8. The facility switched to emergency diesel generators needed to cool the nuclear fuel, Reuters reports, citing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the plant’s management.
The outage occurred after the “Ferosplavna” power line, which provides the facility’s external power supply, was disconnected. The other main line – “Dniprovskaya” – has been out of service since at least October 23. According to the IAEA, the cause and exact location of the new fault have not yet been determined.
The international agency уточifies that the nuclear power plant has enough fuel to operate a limited number of emergency generators for approximately two weeks. Although all six reactors have been shut down, electricity remains necessary to maintain the cooling and safety systems.
The Russian-appointed management of the plant said that the power line had been disconnected by an automatic protection system. According to the administration, radiation levels remain within normal limits, while staff are taking measures to maintain the facility’s safe operation.
The Zaporizhzhia NPP has been under Russian control since the first weeks of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In recent years, the plant has repeatedly lost its external power supply due to military operations in the area, raising concerns about nuclear safety.
In September, local ceasefire arrangements were agreed with the mediation of the IAEA, allowing repairs to be carried out after a previous prolonged power outage.
The new incident comes amid intensified Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and preparations for talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States in Abu Dhabi. A day earlier, Russian missiles and drones caused serious damage to power facilities in the Kyiv region, triggering disruptions to electricity, heating and water supplies.