The Ministry of Energy of Ukraine warns of high risks of a nuclear and radiation accident at the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which has completely lost external power supply.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Deteriorating Situation at Zaporizhzhia NPP
Before the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation in February 2022, the Zaporizhzhia NPP was connected to 10 overhead power lines, ensuring stable energy supply for the plant’s own needs and electricity supply to the national energy system. However, due to hostilities and infrastructure destruction, most of the lines were damaged, and as of September 2025, only two lines remained operational.
On May 7, 2025, one of these lines was de-energized due to combat actions, and on September 23, 2025, the last operational line was disconnected. After that, the plant completely lost external power supply from the Unified Energy System of Ukraine.
“The situation is further complicated by the gradual degradation of equipment, as well as the inability to carry out necessary scheduled repairs and maintenance work. This significantly increases the risks of diesel generator failure and, consequently, creates a threat to the cooling systems of nuclear fuel and the shutdown of critical safety systems, which could lead to a nuclear and radiation accident. The potential consequences of safety system failures at the ZNPP will have a transboundary nature and pose a danger not only to Ukraine but also to many European countries,” the Ministry of Energy stated.
Threats and Responses from the Parties
Currently, the Zaporizhzhia NPP has been operating on backup power solely from diesel generators for eight days. The Ministry of Energy emphasizes that such operating conditions are not provided for in the plant’s design, and prolonged operation of safety systems on diesel generators may lead to their failure, as there is no data on the duration of their continuous operation under extreme conditions.
The ministry also emphasized that the Russian Federation has repeatedly expressed intentions to connect the Zaporizhzhia NPP to its energy system. It is currently known that relevant actions are either already being carried out or are in the implementation stage. Such actions constitute a gross violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty, international law, and nuclear safety principles, as the plant must operate exclusively within the Ukrainian energy system and under the legitimate control of Ukraine.
At the same time, Energoatom reported the tenth blackout at the plant when, on September 23 at 16:56, the last power line from the Ukrainian energy system was de-energized. Representatives of the IAEA confirmed the activation of emergency diesel generators to ensure the plant’s power supply. Ukrenergo noted that the line supplying the ZNPP remains operational in the territory controlled by Ukraine, while the Russian side claims that the power supply was interrupted due to the actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The occupying administration of the ZNPP informed the IAEA that there are fuel reserves for the generators, sufficient for over 10 days of operation, and regular external supplies will maintain this level. Ukraine, for its part, stated its readiness to restore the backup 330 kV power line, but the military situation currently does not allow for repairs.
President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized the critical situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, which has been left without power supply due to Russian shelling.