The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has experienced its 12th blackout since the beginning of the year

The occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant lost its external power supply and operated on diesel generators for about an hour to maintain critical nuclear safety systems. This power outage marked the 12th blackout at the plant since the beginning of 2026 and the 24th since the start of the Russian occupation.

Power was restored at 2:20 p.m., but the company emphasizes that such incidents pose a direct threat to radiation safety throughout Europe. To fully eliminate these risks, the plant must return to the control of Ukraine and its legitimate operator.

Source: Energoatom.

In occupied Energodar, Alexander Yakovlev, the so-called chief engineer of the captured Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, was killed when a drone struck a service vehicle. The driver of the vehicle was also killed at the scene. This was stated by Alexey Likhachev, head of the Russian state corporation Rosatom.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Kyiv had no connection to the death of the chief engineer of the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The ministry called Russia’s statements unsubstantiated and urged the public not to treat information from the occupying authorities as reliable.