Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant loses external power for 16th time, relies on diesel generators

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant lost external power overnight on November 8, marking the 16th complete blackout at the facility since the start of 2026, according to Energoatom. The plant is now operating solely on backup diesel generators. The outage occurred at 02:36 when the plant lost connection via the last operational 330 kV line, "Ferrosplavna-1," and an automatic reconnection attempt failed. Energoatom warned that repeated power losses pose a critical threat to nuclear and radiation safety, risking cooling system failures if generators run out. Energoatom attributed the recurring blackouts to the plant's occupation and stated that safety can only be restored if Ukraine regains full control. This incident follows a drone attack on October 29 that killed a plant worker.