Ukrainian nuclear plant switches to generators after losing final power line

A Ukrainian nuclear plant switched to generators after losing its final external power line, though the cause of the latest disconnection is still unknown.

“The Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has once again lost all off-site power, forcing it to rely on emergency diesel generators for reactor cooling and other essential nuclear safety and security functions,” the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) wrote on social platform X .

The plant’s last power line, Ferosplavna-1, stopped working early on Sunday but “the cause and location of the latest disconnection are not yet known.”

“It is the 27th such event during the conflict, underlining the continued precarious nuclear safety situation,” Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of IAEA, said in the statement.

IAEA said they were told by ZNPP that there were enough fuel reserves to operate a limited number of emergency diesel generators for around two weeks. Grossi called to raise the amount of diesel fuel reserves at ZNPP and stressed the need for the plant to be reconnected with the grid.

This comes after Russian air strikes reportedly killed 55 people in one town in the Zaporizhzhia region, the same region the power plant is located, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Zelensky continued that Russian strikes had also hit vital energy infrastructure throughout Ukraine, leaving 600,000 people in Dnipro, Ukraine, without power. He had previously warned that Russia has sought to launch new strikes that would target Ukraine’s “ energy and logistics .”

“In total, this past week alone, Russia has launched 115 missiles of various types, nearly 1,900 guided aerial bombs, and more than 3,000 attack drones against our cities and communities. These are combined strikes involving many ballistic missiles,” he expressed.

He urged other European and G7 countries to heighten or enact sanctions against Russia, saying “the missiles must be stopped on the production lines.”

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff announced earlier this month that the U.S. would mediate talks between Ukraine and Russia. The trilateral peace negotiations are slated for Nov. 10-11 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

“Discussions will focus on post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian efforts, and next steps toward peace,” Witkoff wrote in a post.

President Trump has expressed a desire to end the Russia-Ukraine war, which is approaching its five-year mark since Russia invaded the European country.