The International Atomic Energy Agency expressed concern on Thursday about increasing external power supply outages at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which remains under the control of Russian forces.
Located near the front line, the plant suffers frequent power cuts that force it to rely on backup diesel generators to maintain vital cooling functions. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the facility has lost external electricity 24 times, with half of those outages occurring in the past four months. A brief power cut also occurred on Tuesday for reasons that remain unclarified, the agency added.
Power supply risks and ongoing military activity
International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi said in a statement that the growing frequency of external power cuts is extremely worrying and clearly unsustainable. Plant staff also report daily military activity, including multiple explosions near the facility, leading the agency to renew its call for maximum military restraint.
Zaporizhzhia is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and has been occupied by Russian forces since March 2022. Fighting has repeatedly affected nuclear facilities across Ukraine. All six reactors at Zaporizhzhia have ceased operation since the occupation began, but continuous electrical power remains essential to run cooling and safety systems. Moscow and Kyiv regularly accuse each other of risking a nuclear disaster during attacks on the plant.
