The UN Secretary-General has condemned Russia’s latest drone and missile attacks in Ukraine—the largest reported since the war began—warning that these strikes put nuclear safety at risk at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, according to a press release. António Guterres described the escalation as deeply alarming, citing the growing impact on civilians and the renewed threat to critical infrastructure.
Friday’s attack cut off the plant’s last connection to external power, forcing it to run on backup diesel generators for over three hours before electricity was restored. This marks the ninth time since 2022 that the plant has lost all access to outside power, a situation that International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Mariano Grossi called “extremely fragile.” The plant, while not currently producing energy, still needs electricity to keep its reactor cores and spent fuel pools cool and safe.
Guterres stressed that targeting civilians and vital infrastructure breaks international law and urged all parties to agree to an immediate, unconditional ceasefire.
“These strikes disrupted the power supply to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, once again underlining the ongoing risks to nuclear safety,” said UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.
Right now, the Zaporizhzhia facility is Europe’s largest nuclear plant, but the ongoing conflict has left it far more vulnerable. Before the war, it relied on ten external power lines; now only one remains.
Teams from the IAEA are still on the ground, keeping watch and reporting on the plant’s status as the situation remains tense and unpredictable.
