Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

Energoatom confirmed the restoration of external power to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on June 13, following a three-day outage caused by the failure of the ZaTES – Ferrosplavna No. 1 backup line. The plant relied on emergency diesel generators to maintain critical safety systems during the blackout.

The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that off-site power was restored to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on June 6, 2026, ending a 15-hour blackout. During the outage, the plant relied on emergency diesel generators to maintain cooling systems for its six shutdown reactors.

The IAEA reported the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant lost external power for the 17th time since the war began after a drone struck a nearby substation. Backup diesel generators maintained electricity until the connection was restored within 20 minutes.

The IAEA chief expressed serious concern following Russia's accusation that Ukrainian forces attacked the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant with a drone.

Ukraine's Southern Defense Forces rejected Russian accusations of a Ukrainian drone strike on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant's Unit 6, calling the claims a Russian information provocation. Ukrainian officials provided evidence stating their forces lack the heavy fiber-optic drones required to inflict the alleged damage.

Nuclear energy is experiencing a global resurgence 40 years after the Chernobyl disaster, driven by energy security concerns amid the Middle East war. Over 400 reactors operate in 31 countries, with 70 more under construction, as the U.S., China, and Russia lead expansion efforts.