Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Loses External Power for 27th Time Since Russian Occupation

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant lost external power for the 16th time in 2026 and the 27th time since Russia's occupation, forcing it to rely on diesel generators. Ukraine's Energoatom called the outage a critical threat to nuclear safety. The plant lost power from the last operating 330 kV line at 02:36 Kyiv time on November 8. Russia stated the line was damaged and that radiation levels remain normal. The IAEA confirmed the outage and said fuel reserves could last about two weeks. The plant, Europe's largest, has had all six reactors shut down since September 2022 but still requires cooling. Ukraine insists safety can only be restored if the plant returns to its control.