Dniprovska 750 kV line
ZNPP's main 750 kV external power line; disconnected 24 March 2026, unrepaired across the Dnipro River frontline.
Last refreshed: 3 May 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
With the Dniprovska line unrepaired for over 40 days, what triggers ZNPP falling to diesel generators?
Timeline for Dniprovska 750 kV line
Remained disconnected for 23 days with no repair ceasefire
Russia-Ukraine War 2026: ZNPP blacks out for 13th time; diesel runs 90 minutesZNPP on sole backup line for 18 days
Russia-Ukraine War 2026- What is happening with the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant power supply?
- IAEA Update 346 (10 April 2026) reported the 750 kV Dniprovska main power line has been disconnected since 24 March. ZNPP is running on the sole 330 kV Ferosplavna-1 backup; if that is also lost, the plant falls to emergency diesel generators.Source: IAEA Update 346
- How dangerous is ZNPP running on a single power line?
- Running on only the Ferosplavna-1 backup puts ZNPP one line failure from emergency diesel generators with finite fuel. Rosatom confirmed no reactor units can be restarted while fighting continues. The IAEA describes the situation as ongoing without a sixth repair Ceasefire.Source: IAEA/Rosatom
- Why can't Ukraine repair the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant power line?
- The Dniprovska 750 kV line is damaged over the Dnipro River, which is the active frontline between Ukrainian and Russian forces. Repairing it requires a localised Ceasefire that neither side has yet agreed. The IAEA has brokered five previous localised ceasefires for ZNPP power repairs; a sixth has not been secured.Source: IAEA
- What happens if the ZNPP loses all external power?
- If both the 750 kV Dniprovska main line and the 330 kV Ferosplavna-1 backup fail, all six ZNPP reactor units fall to emergency diesel generators with finite fuel. Rosatom has confirmed none of the units can be restarted while fighting continues. Loss of diesel cooling at a nuclear plant in cold shutdown is the core IAEA safety concern.Source: IAEA/Rosatom
Background
The 750 kV Dniprovska power line is the main external feed for the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). IAEA Update 346, published on 10 April 2026, reported that the line has been disconnected for 18 days since 24 March, with no sixth IAEA-brokered ceasefire secured to allow repairs. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stated the damage is "located over the Dnipro River, which is the frontline in this area."
The Dniprovska line's disconnection means ZNPP is running solely on the 330 kV Ferosplavna-1 backup line, which was itself reconnected on 5 March under the fifth IAEA-brokered local Ceasefire. A further hit to the Ferosplavna-1 line would force all six ZNPP reactor units onto emergency diesel generators with finite fuel. Rosatom has confirmed that none of the units can be restarted while fighting continues.
Eighteen days on a single backup line is the longest such stretch since the March restoration. The damage to the Dniprovska line runs across the Dnipro River, placing the repair operation directly on the frontline and requiring a localised Ceasefire that neither side has yet agreed. The IAEA describes both sides as "continuing to engage constructively," which is the diplomatic formulation for no agreement reached.
