Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant reconnected to grid after 15-hour blackout, 18th power loss since war began

External electricity was restored to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) on Saturday, June 6, ending a 15-hour total power failure during which the facility relied on emergency diesel generators to cool its six shutdown reactors, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed.

The IAEA said the reconnection to the external grid occurred on Saturday morning. The 15-hour outage was one of the longest the plant has experienced since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, marking the 18th complete loss of off-site power during the war. All six reactors remain in a cold shutdown state, requiring continuous electricity to prevent backup fuel exhaustion and avert a nuclear emergency.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi warned that the outage underscores the fragility of the regional electrical grid and the urgency of scheduled repairs. "The incident once again underlines the constant dangers to nuclear safety during the military conflict," Grossi said, referencing a similar 20-minute outage on June 3 triggered by a drone strike on the nearby Nikopolska substation.

To address the systemic vulnerabilities, a localized temporary ceasefire brokered by the IAEA took effect on Friday, June 5, designed to protect crews repairing the Dniprovska high-voltage power line. Grossi stressed that maintaining such zones of military restraint is vital to prevent catastrophic technical failures at the occupied facility in Enerhodar.