Ukraine Restores Power to Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant After Russian Cutoff

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, currently occupied by Russian forces, experienced a complete loss of external power supply following a Russian strike on the power line connecting it to Ukraine's unified energy system, as confirmed by Ukraine's Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This outage marks the ninth time the plant has faced a complete blackout since the start of the conflict, forcing it to rely on emergency diesel generators to keep the nuclear fuel cool and maintain essential safety systems. Despite the reactors being shut down, the constant power supply is critical to prevent nuclear safety risks, with the IAEA repeatedly warning of the potential for a catastrophic accident due to the plant's proximity to the front lines. Ukrainian authorities have condemned the strikes as acts of nuclear terror and called on the IAEA to take a clear stance against the Russian occupation, while the U.S. has proposed taking over management of Ukrainian nuclear plants to help resolve the situation. The Russian-installed management at the plant has stated that the equipment remains safe and under control, with no observed safety violations, although the cause of the power outage is still being investigated. Ukrenergo specialists have since restored one high-voltage line, allowing the plant to resume receiving electricity from Ukrainian-controlled territory after several hours on diesel generators.