IAEA warns Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant could face total blackout in 10 days
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (photo: Getty Images)
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been operating solely on diesel generators for more than a week after losing external power. Fuel reserves at the site are estimated to last about 10 days, according to IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.
What happened to power supply at Zaporizhzhia plant
The plant lost its connection to the last external 330 kV power line, Ferosplavna-1, on August 20 as a result of hostilities.
Since then, the facility has been powering its own needs, including the pumps that cool the six reactors and spent fuel pools, using emergency diesel generators.
IAEA representatives inspected the generators and assessed the available fuel reserves. According to the plant, its current diesel supply will last approximately 10 days, which is the minimum permissible level.
Logistics and safety problems
Escalation of hostilities makes regular fuel deliveries more difficult. The last delivery to the external storage facility took place in March, while a planned delivery in May was disrupted.
However, at the end of the week, agency experts recorded the transfer of several dozen tons of diesel from sites near the plant.
The IAEA warns that without the urgent restoration of the external power line or new fuel deliveries, the plant could face a complete loss of power.
The agency is currently negotiating a local ceasefire to allow repairs to the Ferosplavna-1 line.
Drone attacks, military activity
Explosions and shelling continue to be reported at and around the plant. Monitors reported several drone strikes in the area:
- August 25: A drone struck near the cooling pond, injuring two workers
- August 26: One UAV exploded in the dry spent nuclear fuel storage area, while another struck a sprinkler device in the power unit system.
The radiation level at the site remains within normal limits.
The IAEA has called on all sides to exercise maximum restraint, stressing that strikes near fuel storage facilities or cooling ponds pose critical risks.
Situation at other nuclear power plants in Ukraine
Military activity and aerial threats have also been recorded at other nuclear facilities across the country:
- South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant: 11 drones were detected in the monitored area over the course of the week
- Chornobyl site: Two drones and one missile were detected
- Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant: One UAV was detected flying overhead, and personnel and the IAEA mission were forced to take shelter due to air raid alerts.
Situation at Zaporizhzhia plant
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been under Russian occupation since March 2022. During this time, the plant has repeatedly been brought to the brink of a blackout after attacks damaged its remaining power lines.
IAEA experts are permanently stationed at the site to monitor nuclear and radiation safety, but Russian occupation forces regularly restrict their access to certain critical facilities.
As previously reported, the situation at the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant remains critical due to persistent power supply problems and military activity.
On the night of August 20, the plant experienced its 27th blackout. The facility lost its connection to the last external power line and was forced to switch to emergency diesel generators. This was already the 15th such incident since the beginning of 2026.
In addition, Russian forces have turned the plant into a military base. They set up weapons storage facilities on the plant's grounds, launch strike drones, and mine some engineering premises.
