Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Switches Back to Backup Generators After Losing External Power

What Happened

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine has lost its external electricity supply and is relying on backup generators to cool its reactors. The plant lost its off-site power after the Ferosplavna power line disconnected on Sunday, November 8, 2026. The International Atomic Energy Agency stated that the exact cause and location of this latest disconnection are still not known. The plant's Russian-installed management stated that the line shut down because of automatic protection.

Plant Status

Zaporizhzhia does not produce any electricity right now. It needs power from two external links to keep its nuclear fuel cool. The plant currently has enough fuel reserves to run a limited number of emergency diesel generators for about two weeks. The main Dniprovska power line was already unavailable since October 23, and a local ceasefire in early September had previously allowed repairs to restore power after an outage lasting from August 20. Russian-installed management said that radiation levels on the site and in the surveillance zone remain normal and staff are monitoring all equipment parameters.

Context

Russia seized Zaporizhzhia, which is Europe's largest nuclear plant with six reactors, during the early weeks of the war following the February 2022 invasion. Since then, Moscow and Kyiv have regularly blamed each other for military actions that threaten nuclear safety at the facility.