The 17th blackout has occurred at the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant — Energoatom
On the night of June 3, 2026, the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant completely lost its external power supply.
This was the 17th blackout since Russian troops seized the facility and the fifth since the beginning of this year.
The energy crisis arose due to damage to power lines, forcing the plant to urgently activate its backup systems.
According to the Ukrainian state-owned enterprise, at 11:44 p.m., the plant completely lost its external power supply due to the disconnection of the “Ferosplavna-1” power line.
The operation of critical safety and cooling systems for the nuclear reactors was maintained solely through the automatic activation and operation of backup diesel generators.
For their part, international observers also documented this incident and identified its immediate causes.
According to the IAEA, the power outage was caused by a drone strike on the “Nikopolskaya” substation on the opposite bank of the Dnieper River from the ZNPP.
This led to a temporary shutdown of the sole power transmission line remaining at the plant’s disposal.
The situation at the nuclear facility remains extremely tense due to ongoing hostilities and the threat of infrastructure destruction.
“Another blackout at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant once again demonstrates the critical risks caused by the illegal occupation of the facility by Russian troops. Every loss of external power poses a direct threat to nuclear and radiation safety,” the press center stated.
This was reported by the Energoatom press center.
Zaporizhzhia NPP lost external power again due to a drone attack
The Joint Forces Operation Headquarters refuted Russian allegations of alleged shelling of the ZNPP territory by the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The Ukrainian Armed Forces emphasized that Ukraine did not strike the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. According to them, the reports disseminated by the Russian side are part of an information campaign, while Russia itself continues to use the occupied ZNPP as a tool for nuclear blackmail and a military facility.
