Russia Building Power Lines to Occupied Europe’s Largest Nuclear Power Plant

Russia is constructing new power lines in occupied southeastern Ukraine in an apparent effort to connect the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) to its own energy grid, according to The New York Times, The Gaze reports.

The development marks the clearest evidence to date of Moscow’s intent to restart and exploit the captured facility.

Satellite imagery shows that since February 2025, Russia has been laying more than 50 miles of power lines and pylons between the occupied cities of Mariupol and Berdyansk. The new infrastructure appears aimed at linking the ZNPP to a major substation near Mariupol.

“Putin’s plan for restarting the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant depends on securing new electricity transmission lines — this is the first physical evidence of those plans,” said Shaun Burnie, nuclear specialist at Greenpeace Ukraine.

Captured by Russia early in its full-scale invasion, the ZNPP is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and previously supplied nearly a quarter of Ukraine’s electricity. 

All six reactors were shut down for safety reasons, and experts have repeatedly warned against attempts to restart the facility due to ongoing conflict, structural damage, and lack of qualified staff.

Ukraine’s Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko warned that “any attempts by Russian representatives to restart power units could lead to unpredictable consequences,” citing safety concerns including the lack of reliable cooling water following the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam.

Greenpeace also raised concerns that Russia’s actions undermine ongoing peace talks, some of which include proposals for international oversight or even U.S. involvement in managing Ukraine’s nuclear infrastructure.

“This would be the first time in history that a country at war seizes a nuclear plant from another nation and uses it for its own energy needs,” said Olga Kosharna, an independent Ukrainian nuclear expert.

As The Gaze previously reported, Russia continues to pose serious risks to nuclear safety in Ukraine. On the night of April 9, eight drones were detected flying within a 4-kilometer radius of the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant (NPP).