UKRAINE — Greenpeace sounds the alarm over nuclear safety at the Zaporizhzhia plant

KYIV, September 18 /ATSH-DPA/ — Greenpeace has accused Russia of sabotaging the electricity supply to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, occupied by Russian forces, aiming to then blame Ukraine for endangering the plant’s safety.

The environmental organization said it analyzed satellite images and other evidence which, it says, contradict Moscow’s claims that the power outages were caused by Ukrainian attacks.

Shaun Burnie, a nuclear specialist with Greenpeace Ukraine, described the situation as part of what the organization considers a disinformation campaign by Moscow.

According to Greenpeace, the repeated losses of external power supply are linked to attacks on Ukraine’s electricity grid and to actions the organization characterizes as sabotage at the plant and its substations.

Although the plant’s six reactors are shut down, the facility still needs a constant electricity supply to keep the nuclear fuel cooling systems running.

Greenpeace’s investigation, conducted together with the British firm McKenzie Intelligence Services, warns that safety incidents have increased in recent months.

According to the organization, of the 26 power supply interruptions since 2022, 14 have occurred since February 2026.

Expert Jan Vande Putte said the repeated losses of external power constitute a fundamental risk to the plant’s safety.

He also warned that attacks on Ukraine’s electricity grid could affect the safety of three other nuclear plants still operating in the country.

The last 330-kilovolt line supplying the plant was repaired in early September after an outage lasting nearly three weeks.

During that period, cooling systems were powered by diesel generators.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) brokered a limited local ceasefire to enable the line’s repair. It was the second time the IAEA had brokered such an agreement to guarantee work on the plant’s energy infrastructure.