Greenpeace says Russia is sabotaging power lines at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

Greenpeace has accused Russia of deliberately sabotaging electricity supply lines at the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine. The environmental group said the alleged campaign is being accompanied by claims blaming Ukraine, which it described as an effort to confuse and distract from the risks created by the occupation and the war. The allegation concerns one of Europe's most sensitive nuclear sites, where the loss of external power has repeatedly raised safety concerns.

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In a report published on Thursday, Greenpeace said it worked with London-based McKenzie Intelligence Services to analyse satellite imagery of the site. The group said the analysis found no evidence to support Russian claims that Ukrainian attacks had hit the plant. It said the imagery covered the period from October 2025 to June 2026 and focused on damage to the 330 kV Ferosplavna-1 power line near the plant.

Greenpeace said the damage was inconsistent with the effects of artillery fire or a drone strike. According to the report, artillery fire would normally leave a pattern of impact craters and scattered damage across the area, which was not visible in the images reviewed. The group also said damage Moscow attributed to a Ukrainian drone strike on June 4 was already visible before the date of the alleged attack.

Shaun Burnie, a nuclear specialist at Greenpeace Ukraine, said the satellite imagery showed that Ukraine did not attack its own nuclear plant electricity system. The report matters because the Zaporizhzhia plant has been under Russian occupation since the early stages of the war and has faced repeated external power disruptions. Greenpeace said the repeated loss of external power is linked to Russian military attacks on Ukraine's electricity grid and sabotage operations at the plant and associated switchyards.

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The International Atomic Energy Agency has previously stressed the importance of a stable electricity supply at the site for nuclear safety, underlining the significance of any damage to the remaining power connection. The Ferosplavna-1 line is described in the report as the plant's only remaining external power line. That makes it a critical part of the facility's safety systems, because external electricity is needed to support nuclear operations and cooling-related functions.

The allegation also adds to the wider dispute over responsibility for risks at the plant, which has remained a focal point of concern throughout the conflict in southeastern Ukraine. What remains unclear is whether any independent body will verify the findings or whether the parties involved will respond publicly to the report's conclusions. The immediate issue is the condition of the plant's power supply and whether further damage or outages occur.

The next developments to watch are any new assessments from nuclear safety monitors, further satellite analysis, and any changes in the status of the Ferosplavna-1 line.

#ZaporizhzhiaNuclearPowerPlant #Greenpeace #McKenzieIntelligenceServices #InternationalAtomicEnergyAgency #nuclearsafety

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