Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Loses Main Power Line, Raising Safety Fears

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) was cut off from its main external power line, once again putting the station’s safety at risk, Ukraine’s state nuclear operator Energoatom reported on November 14.

At 16:18, the plant lost connection to the Dniprovska transmission line, its primary link to Ukraine’s united energy system. As a result, ZNPP is now operating on electricity from only one remaining external power line.

Energoatom warned that the plant’s external power supply—essential for maintaining safe operation—has become dangerously fragile.

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If the final line is also lost, the station could enter its eleventh full blackout since Russia seized control, forcing the reactors to rely on emergency diesel generators. Such a scenario would pose a serious radiation safety threat, as stable external power is critical for cooling and monitoring systems.

Russia occupied the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in March 2022, and it has since faced repeated power outages, shelling-related risks, and severe operational disruptions.

International experts have repeatedly warned that the facility’s precarious condition represents one of the most significant nuclear safety concerns of the war.

Previously, three more Ukrainian nuclear power plants have been forced to reduce output following a wave of Russian attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure overnight.

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