![The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. [Getty Images]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/06/15/news-p.v1.20260615.3bb95e43ee544575b2f159f3b729d682_P1.jpg)
External power has been restored to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine after a three-day blackout, the International Atomic Energy Agency announced Sunday, as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues to put the facility at risk.
Given the nature of nuclear power plants, a worst-case scenario cannot entirely rule out the possibility of radioactive material leaking.
According to Reuters and other outlets, the IAEA said external power supply to the Zaporizhzhia facility had been restored. The outage began June 11, when a substation was damaged in an external attack that cut off all outside power to the plant.
Reuters described the incident as "one of the prolonged blackouts" the plant has endured.
Earlier, the IAEA had brokered a localized truce immediately after the plant was struck and helped coordinate restoration work.
The latest blackout was the 19th at Zaporizhzhia since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Both sides have continued intense fighting in recent weeks. Amid the ongoing conflict, repeated disruptions to the plant's power supply have fueled persistent fears of a radioactive leak.
When external power is cut, the plant's cooling systems can also shut down. In a worst-case scenario, reactor overheating could trigger a core meltdown, potentially releasing large amounts of radioactive material.
Plant running on single transmission line, IAEA warns
According to Russia's RIA Novosti news agency, plant operator spokesperson Yevgenia Yashina said the backup 330-kilovolt transmission line had been out of operation since the afternoon of June 10. The IAEA warned that "the plant is operating on only a single transmission line, leaving it highly vulnerable to grid disruptions."
Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine appear set to continue their offensives against each other.
Russia has decided to cancel the 2026 MAKS International Aviation and Space Salon, which had been expected to be held this summer, Russia's TASS news agency reported June 11.
TASS said the last edition of the air show was held in July 2021. The event has now failed to be held for five consecutive years since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Ukrainian government-backed media outlet Yedyni24 interpreted the cancellation as a response to the growing threat posed by Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian territory.
The outlet also noted that large-scale Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow in March last year and May this year had exposed vulnerabilities at airports and other facilities in the region.
yul@heraldcorp.com
