Russian engineers are constructing a new power line for the needs of the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. This was reported by the non-governmental organization Greenpeace Ukraine, citing satellite monitoring data from May 2025.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Construction of the power line and connection plans
According to Greenpeace, work is being carried out in the occupied territories west of Berdyansk and northwest of Mariupol. Activists note:
“As of May 23, 2025, 90 km of the line with installed supports has been built. New images from Greenpeace indicate that from May 11 to May 22, 2025, 15 supports and over 5 km of power line were erected from the eastern part of Topolynoe, north of Mariupol. It is likely that construction will continue through the Kalchytske Reservoir until the end of May.”
By February 2025, according to the organization, there were no signs of construction work in the area. Greenpeace predicts that the line will be extended another 100 km to the occupied Melitopol, where it is planned to connect to a 330 kV substation. In the east, the power line is to be connected to a 750/330 kilovolt substation north of Mariupol.
Threats to nuclear safety and international reaction
The Ukrainian branch of Greenpeace has been warning since January 2024 about the risks associated with the possible restart of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant under Russian control. The organization is also investigating the role of the IAEA, which, according to Greenpeace, may facilitate illegal actions by “Rosatom.”
Experts believe that resuming the operation of the plant poses serious threats to nuclear safety. Among the key risks identified are:
- equipment wear after three years of occupation;
- shortage of qualified personnel;
- only one external power supply line without a backup;
- risk of overheating and damage to the reactor core due to lack of cooling water circulation;
- potential for radioactive contamination beyond the plant site.
The head of “Rosatom,” Alexey Likhachev, stated on May 21 in the Federation Council of Russia that the company plans to bring the ZNPP to full capacity, and the corresponding plan is undergoing interdepartmental approval. Nuclear expert from Greenpeace Ukraine, Jan Vande Putte, emphasized that “Rosatom cannot guarantee nuclear safety in attempts to restart the ZNPP” and urged the IAEA not to support preparations for the illegal launch of the plant’s reactors.
The IAEA and the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine have not yet commented on these statements. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian “Energoatom” has called on Russia to return the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant under Ukraine’s control as the legal operator and to withdraw military personnel from the plant to restore nuclear and radiation safety for all of Europe.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. The city of Enerhodar and the power plant itself were occupied by Russian troops in March 2022.