The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has once again lost its external power supply
Another blackout has occurred at the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The plant lost its external power supply and temporarily switched to backup diesel generators. This is the tenth instance of an external power outage at the Zaporizhzhia NPP since the beginning of 2026. Power supply to the plant has since been restored.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has experienced its tenth blackout since the beginning of the year. Due to the loss of external power, the plant was forced to switch to backup power sources. The ZNPP, occupied by Russian troops, was once again left without a connection to the external power grid. At that time, backup diesel generators were keeping the plant’s critical safety systems operational. “The plant was forced to switch to power from backup diesel generators, which keep the safety systems running,” Energoatom reported.
Subsequently, the external power supply to the Zaporizhzhia NPP was restored. The plant is now receiving electricity from external sources again. The company noted that this incident marked the tenth blackout at the Zaporizhzhia NPP since the beginning of 2026. The loss of external power is dangerous for a nuclear power plant, as electricity is essential for the operation of cooling systems and other critical safety components.
The Zaporizhzhia NPP has remained under the control of Russian troops since March 2022. Ukraine and international organizations have repeatedly emphasized the risks posed by the occupation of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. This was reported by the press service of NAEK “Energoatom.”
Russian troops are effectively using the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Enerhodar as a military base. On July 13, the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) warned of the danger posed by stationing troops and equipment on the territory of a nuclear facility.
Robert “Madyar” Brovdi, commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, released a new report on the results of the Ukrainian military’s operations. According to him, over the past 24 hours, on July 12, 1,725 unique enemy targets were destroyed or struck.
Additionally, the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Unmanned Systems Forces, in coordination with the Main Intelligence Directorate and the State Border Guard Service, struck one of Rosneft’s largest oil refineries. A key industrial facility in the southern Volga region was also targeted.
