A blackout occurred at Zaporizhzhia NPP: the plant is running on generators

8 November Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant remained without external power. This is the 16-th blackout since the beginning of the year.

As Dilo reports, the information comes from the press service of NAC "Energoatom".

It is noted that 8 November at 02:36 Zaporizhzhia NPP lost power from the last operating line 330 kV "Ferosplavna-1", which provided its connection to the Ukrainian power system.

An attempt to automatically reconnect the line was unsuccessful. Currently, the plant’s own needs are met solely by operating reserve diesel generators.

Energoatom noted that this is already 16-th case of complete loss of external power supply to ZNPP since the beginning of 2026 year. Power outage at the plant poses a critical threat to nuclear and radiation safety.

Operation in blackout mode creates a direct risk of failure of life-support and cooling systems for nuclear fuel if diesel generators fail or their resource is exhausted, which could lead to a radiation accident.

"Systematic loss of external power supply is the result of the occupation of ZNPP. Restoration of nuclear and radiation safety at the plant is possible only under its full return under Ukraine’s control and the legal operator - NAC Energoatom," the company stressed.

Recall that 7 September Ukrainian specialists restored external power supply to temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP, which has been operating on diesel generators since 20 August.

What is happening at the ZNPP?

Before the war, Zaporizhzhia NPP in Enerhodar provided about one fifth of all Ukrainian electricity and was the largest nuclear plant in Europe.

Russian forces captured it in March 2022 year. The plant is not producing electricity. Six reactors of Zaporizhzhia NPP remain in a cold shutdown state since 2022 year, relying on external power lines and emergency systems to prevent a complete blackout.

IAEA maintains a continuous presence on site to monitor safety amid ongoing shelling.

But Russia has effectively turned the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP in Enerhodar into its own military base. In the basement rooms and bomb shelters, the occupiers have set up weapons depots, and on the roofs of reactor units they installed machine-gun nests and missile systems. Ammunition and military equipment are also stored under technical passages and ramps connecting energy blocks with other buildings. In addition, Russian troops are deploying drone command points at the ZNPP.