Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) lost connection to one of its two off-site power lines on Tuesday, leaving it once again precariously reliant on a single power source, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.

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The 330 kilovolt (kV) Ferosplavna-1 off-site power line was disconnected around midday on 10 February, allegedly due to military activity near the switchyard operated by the Zaporizhzhya Thermal Power Plant (ZTPP). ZNPP is still powered by the 750 kV Dniprovska off-site power line to ensure nuclear safety functions. Before the conflict, the ZNPP had four 750 kV and six 330 kV power lines available.

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Around the time the Ferosplavna-1 line was disconnected, the IAEA team at the ZNPP heard explosions in the distance. They have not had access to the ZTPP switchyard in several years but were informed that lines connecting the switchyard to the ZNPP have been damaged. One of these lines was damaged in December 2025 and subsequently repaired under the local ceasefire brokered by the IAEA. The team has yet to be informed of an anticipated timeline for repairs; however, the IAEA stands ready to negotiate another ceasefire to facilitate repairs to these essential power lines to ensure the nuclear safety of the plant. 

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The situation also caused damage to the heating pipe from the ZNPP to the nearby city of Enerhodar, which caused the city to lose heating for several hours.

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Military activity over the past weekend once again targeted the Ukrainian electrical grid, impacting nuclear power plants’ (NPPs) operations. All reactor units across Ukraine, except for one, had to reduce power, and several off-site power lines were disconnected. One reactor unit was disconnected from the grid, while another was shut down due to equipment issues from electrical fluctuations. All Ukrainian NPPs reported multiple drones and a cruise missile within their monitoring areas, and the IAEA team at the Khmelnitsky NPP also heard military activity and sheltered. 

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“Such events in Ukraine are becoming all too common with each one reminding us of the ever-present risks to nuclear safety and security arising from deteriorating grid conditions,” Director General Grossi said. “No one benefits from a nuclear accident – especially one that can be prevented from all of us taking action. To this end, I call for maximum military restraint from all sides.” 

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The IAEA’s mission to electrical substations critical to nuclear safety and security in Ukraine continued this week. As a result of the ongoing military activity described above, two additional substations were added to the mission, bringing the total number of substation visits by IAEA teams to 12. However, today, the team visiting a substation in Western Ukraine was forced to evacuate due to local air raid alarms. At the same time, teams at both the Khmelnitsky and Rivne NPPs also were required to shelter in place.

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“We are lucky to be able to leverage our staff already deployed across Ukraine to obtain valuable first-hand knowledge of the impact these attacks are having on nuclear safety and security. We will continue to report on the nuclear safety and security situation in Ukraine according to the Seven Indispensable Pillars and bring timely and important in situ information to our Member States,” Director General Grossi stated.

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Earlier this week, the IAEA teams at the Rivne and Chornobyl NPPs safely rotated.

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The Agency continued with deliveries under the comprehensive programme of assistance to help Ukraine maintain nuclear safety and security amid the on-going conflict. Three new systems to complement available physical protection measures were recently delivered – one to the Centralized Dry Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility of the State Enterprise “National Nuclear Energy Generating Company Energoatom” and two to the State Specialized Enterprise “Central Enterprise for Radioactive Waste Management”. One high-pressure air compressor with a filling panel was delivered to Rivne NPP. 

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Additionally, one real-time PCR cycler was delivered to the Odesa Regional State Laboratory to support PCR diagnostics for fast and accurate detection of diseases. Laboratory supplies and consumables, including biological reference material, IT and laboratory equipment were delivered to the Zaporizhzhya Regional State Laboratory.

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The deliveries, which brought the total number of shipments to Ukraine to 203, were made possible with funds from Denmark, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom.

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Text Courtesy, IAEA