Zelenskyy Warns of ‘Critical’ Blackout at Russian-Occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned of a critical situation at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), which has remained cut off from external power for a record seven days after sustained Russian shelling.
The Gaze reports this, referring to Zelenskyy’s evening address.
The Ukrainian president stated the facility is surviving only on emergency diesel generators never designed to operate for such an extended period.
“This is extraordinary. The generators and the plant were not built for this and have never run in such a mode for so long. One of the generators has already failed,” he said.
Zelenskyy added that Russian forces continue to block repair crews from restoring transmission lines. “Disconnection of the Zaporizhzhia plant from power threatens everyone,” the president warned.
On September 23, the last functioning external power line to the plant was destroyed, following earlier strikes that knocked out its backup connection in May.
Ukrainian state operator Energoatom has confirmed that power lines on government-controlled territory remain intact and accused Russia of deliberately refusing to reconnect the facility in order to fuel disinformation against Kyiv.
Zelenskyy discussed the crisis with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, describing the blackout as “the longest in the plant’s history” and stressing that the world must be aware of the possible consequences.
Meanwhile, the European Union issued a statement on Wednesday urging Russia to “immediately cease all military operations” around the plant and allow urgent restoration of power supply lines.
“This is already the tenth time the plant has lost connection since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine – and this is the longest and most serious disconnection,” the EU’s External Action Service said.
The bloc warned that prolonged dependence on diesel generators could compromise reactor cooling and other safety systems.
“Russia must immediately, unconditionally, and completely withdraw all its troops, military equipment, and other unauthorized personnel from the Zaporizhzhia plant and from the entire territory of Ukraine,” the statement reads, adding that full Ukrainian control is the only way to minimize the risk of a nuclear disaster with global consequences.
The Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe’s largest nuclear facility, has been under Russian occupation since March 2022 and has faced repeated emergencies triggered by military operations nearby.
As The Gaze reported earlier, at a meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors, 48 member states issued a joint statement emphasizing that any restart of reactors at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is only possible after the facility is returned to legitimate Ukrainian regulatory control.