Update 347 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

The Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) temporarily lost all off-site power twice this week after its last remaining off-site power line was disconnected.

"The repeated losses of external power once again highlight the vulnerability of the ZNPP amid the ongoing conflict and the persistent risks to nuclear safety and security," IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said. "Both Ukraine and the Russian Federation continue to engage constructively with the IAEA in negotiations for a temporary ceasefire so that repair work can begin to restore the main off-site power line as soon as conditions allow." The main off-site 750 kV Dniprovska power line has been disconnected since 24 March 2026.

On Thursday evening, the ZNPP lost all off-site power for the 14th time since the military conflict began over four years ago in February 2022. The 330 kV Ferosplavna-1 backup power line was temporarily disconnected, and the ZNPP's emergency diesel generators immediately started and supplied the power needed to maintain essential nuclear safety and security functions during the external power outage.

Two days prior, in the early hours of Tuesday, 14 April, the same Ferosplavna-1 backup power line was disconnected for approximately 90 minutes, during which time the plant also relied on the emergency diesel generators to maintain nuclear safety and security functions during the outage.

"The repeated reliance on emergency diesel generators underscores how precarious the situation remains," Director General Grossi added.

Following the Tuesday incident, the ZNPP informed the IAEA that the disconnection was caused by a problem with the interconnection power line that was sending power between the 330 kV open switchyard at the Zaporizhzhya Thermal Power Plant to the autotransformer located in the ZNPP's 750 kV open switchyard, through which backup power was being provided to the site. The ZNPP reported observing instability in the electrical grid before the disconnection. This correlates with information the IAEA received from Ukraine's electrical grid operator about attacks on the electrical grid that caused a local voltage drop in the transmission system around the time of the disconnection.

The IAEA team at the plant continues to monitor the situation and is awaiting the results from the ZNPP's investigation into both events.

Meanwhile, the IAEA is continuing consultations to establish a temporary localized ceasefire to enable repairs on the Dniprovska power line. The location of the damages, situated across the Dnipro River on the frontline, makes both the negotiations and repair efforts more challenging than the previous five temporary localized ceasefires negotiated by the IAEA, Director General Grossi said.

Over the past week, the IAEA delivered power supply units and generators to the State Enterprise USIE Izotop, which is responsible for the management of radioactive material intended for medical, industrial and other purposes. Two universal mass decontamination systems were also delivered to the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant. These deliveries were made possible with funds from the European Union.