Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant restores power after three-day blackout

The Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine was reconnected to the national grid on Saturday after emergency repairs restored a critical backup power line, ending a three-day blackout that had forced operators to rely on diesel generators, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed.

The outage began on Wednesday, 10 June 2026, when an external power line was damaged, cutting off the plant’s connection to Ukraine’s electricity network. With no off-site power, engineers at the facility—Europe’s largest nuclear plant—activated emergency diesel generators to maintain cooling systems and prevent a potential nuclear incident. The IAEA, which has maintained a continuous monitoring presence at the plant since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, reported that the backup line was repaired and reconnected on Saturday, 13 June 2026, restoring stable external power.

Ukraine’s state nuclear operator, Energoatom, welcomed the restoration, stating that the plant’s six reactors remained in a controlled shutdown state during the blackout. “The timely repair of the power line has averted a serious safety risk,” a spokesperson said. The IAEA echoed this assessment, noting that the incident underscored the plant’s vulnerability to external disruptions despite ongoing international oversight.

The blackout occurred amid heightened tensions in the region, where fighting has intensified in recent weeks. Ukrainian officials have accused Russian forces, who control the plant’s immediate surroundings, of deliberately targeting critical infrastructure to destabilise the country’s energy supply. Moscow has denied responsibility, blaming Ukrainian sabotage operations. The IAEA has called for an independent investigation into the cause of the damage, warning that repeated power disruptions at the plant could have “potentially severe consequences.”

With the grid connection now secure, the IAEA has urged both sides to ensure the uninterrupted operation of the plant’s safety systems. “This is a temporary reprieve, not a resolution,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi. “The underlying risks remain, and the plant’s long-term stability depends on de-escalation and the restoration of normal conditions.”

For now, the Zaporizhzhya plant’s reactors remain offline, with operators conducting safety checks before considering a gradual restart. The incident has reignited debates in Kyiv and Brussels over the need for a demilitarised zone around the facility, a proposal Moscow has so far rejected. As Europe’s energy security remains precarious, the episode serves as a stark reminder of the fragile balance between war and nuclear safety.