tradingkey.logo

External power to be restored to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant by Saturday, Russian management says

ReutersOct 21, 2025 12:43 PM

- External power supply to the idle Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in southeastern Ukraine is expected to be restored by Saturday, the Russian-installed management told Reuters.

The Zaporizhzhia plant - Europe's largest, with six reactors - has not been generating electricity since September 2022 but relies on external power to keep the nuclear material cool and prevent a serious accident.

Russia took control of the plant in the early weeks of the war with Ukraine, and each side has accused the other of shelling it at various times. It has been relying on emergency diesel generators for almost a month after external power was severed because of the fighting.

Evgenia Yashina, spokeswoman for the Russian-installed management, told Reuters that repair work to the severed Dneprovskaya power line, which began on October 18, was continuing "intensively" and should be completed by Saturday.

She said inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were monitoring the progress of the work, and the situation at the plant was under control.

Restoration of off-site power is crucial for nuclear safety and security, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said.

Grossi said the work began after local ceasefire zones were established to allow repairs to proceed. The ceasefire remains in place, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying.

Since 2022 the plant has been frequently disconnected from the power grid, but the latest outage is one of the longest.

Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered financial or investment advice.

Related Articles

KeyAI