---
title: "19th blackout at Zaporizhzhia NPP: Station switches to emergency generators after shelling"
description: "The 19th blackout occurred at the Zaporizhzhia NPP: the station switched to emergency generators after shelling. The IAEA warned of critical system vulnerability and the threat of a nuclear accident. 🚨⚡️"
date: 2026-06-11T09:56:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/19th-blackout-at-znpp-station-switches-to-emergency-generators-after-shelling
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# 19th blackout at Zaporizhzhia NPP: Station switches to emergency generators after shelling

![Soldier in camouflage stands in front of Zaporizhzhia NPP after 19th blackout caused by shelling](https://xab.info/media/2026/06/11/19-iy-blackaut-na-zaes-stantsiya-perehla-na-avariynye-generatory/19-iy-blackaut-na-zaes-stantsiya-perehla-na-avariynye-generatory-1.webp)

On the evening of June 10, a critical incident occurred at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP): the station lost its external power supply. This marks the 19th instance of a complete blackout at the facility since the start of the full-scale invasion. Currently, all life support and reactor cooling systems are operating exclusively on emergency diesel generators.

### Causes and circumstances of the outage

According to data from the press service of Ukrenergo and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the incident occurred around 21:00. At that moment, an air raid alarm was sounding on the territory due to enemy shelling. As a result of strikes on the infrastructure, the high-voltage line powering the temporarily occupied station was disconnected.

Specialists note that there are currently no adequate safety conditions to inspect the damaged line and restore it. This makes a quick return to normal operating mode impossible.

### IAEA experts' assessment of the situation

The situation regarding the power supply of the ZNPP is causing serious concern among international experts. The IAEA emphasized that operating the station using only one remaining power line makes the facility extremely vulnerable to grid outages related to military actions.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stated that the latest loss of external power supply once again highlights the extreme vulnerability of the power system and the constant threats to nuclear security in wartime conditions. He once again called on the warring parties to exercise restraint to prevent catastrophic consequences.

Currently, emergency diesel generators are bearing the main load: they ensure the cooling of six shutdown reactors and maintain other critically important nuclear safety functions.

### Chronicle of recent incidents

The problem of power supply to the ZNPP is systemic and is exacerbated by regular attacks on the region's infrastructure. A reminder of recent events helps to see the scale of the threat:

    - **June 3:** For the 17th time, the station was left without external power after a drone strike on a substation on the opposite bank of the Dnipro River. The situation was stabilized thanks to backup generators, but the security threat remained.

    - **June 4:** In the morning, the Zaporizhzhia Thermal Power Plant was subjected to heavy shelling, creating a serious threat to the power chain of the NPP itself.

    - **June 5:** In the morning, a local ceasefire came into effect near the front line adjacent to the ZNPP. This decision was made to allow for the repair of power lines and to prevent a nuclear accident.

Previously, IAEA inspectors who visited the station to verify the claims of the occupying authorities regarding damage confirmed normal radiation levels. However, the inspection process itself was complicated by combat operations: the mission had to interrupt the inspection and take cover due to the sounds of drones and gunfire in the immediate vicinity of the facility.