The security situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, one of the most sensitive sites in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, is becoming increasingly unstable. Regular disruptions to the external power supply, ongoing military activity around the plant, casualties among staff and difficulties securing fuel supplies are heightening concerns over nuclear safety.
On 20 August, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant again lost its external power supply after a high-voltage line was damaged. Emergency diesel generators were activated to maintain critical safety systems.
The Russian-appointed management of the plant said that the necessary safety measures had been taken and that radiation levels remained within normal limits.
The 15th complete power outage in 2026
According to Ukraine’s state nuclear energy company Energoatom, the latest incident marked the 15th complete loss of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant’s external power supply since the beginning of 2026.
The company also said that the plant had completely lost its external power supply 27 times in total since the beginning of the conflict.
Energoatom chief Pavel Kovtonyuk warned that the increasingly frequent use of emergency diesel generators is accelerating equipment wear, further underscoring the site’s vulnerability.
Reactors shut down, but power remains necessary
All six reactors at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant are currently shut down and are not producing electricity. However, this does not mean that the plant no longer needs an external power supply.
Electricity is needed to cool the nuclear fuel and operate other critical safety systems.
When external power is lost, these functions are provided by emergency diesel generators. Therefore, prolonged or repeated power outages are considered one of the most serious safety risks facing the plant.
Attacks near the plant heighten concerns
In addition to power supply problems, the situation is being complicated by ongoing military incidents in the area around the plant.
On 18 August, a drone exploded near a bus stop used by Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant employees. As a result, one person was killed and several others were injured.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) described the incident as serious and said it directly affected the safety of the plant’s staff.
Russia blamed Ukraine for the attack, while Kyiv says that the threats surrounding the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant are a consequence of Russian control over the site.
The IAEA has repeatedly called on the parties to exercise maximum restraint and avoid any military action that could jeopardize nuclear safety.
One of the conflict’s main nuclear risks
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, with six reactors, is Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. The site has been under the control of Russian forces since March 2022.
Before the conflict began, the plant had access to 10 separate external power lines. According to IAEA data published in July, the number of available external connections has fallen to one, indicating the growing vulnerability of the plant’s power supply system.
No elevated radiation levels have been recorded at the site so far.
However, continuing damage to energy infrastructure, the regular use of emergency generators and persistent military activity around the plant make the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant one of the most serious sources of nuclear safety risk amid the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
