CBRN event in Ukraine on Tue 4th August 2026

Energoatom, the operator of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, recorded another blackout at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on August 4. The ZNPP once again lost its external power supply, forcing the plant to operate on diesel generators for about an hour – the backup power source used to ensure nuclear and radiation safety. Power was restored at 2:20 p.m., Energoatom reported. A similar situation occurred several days earlier, on August 1. According to the company, this was the 12th blackout at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant since the beginning of 2026 and the 24th since the plant was occupied. Context of the crises at the ZNPP This means that half of all blackouts at the ZNPP since the beginning of the occupation have occurred in 2026 alone. Every loss of external power creates a direct threat to nuclear and radiation safety. The dependence of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant on diesel generators is unacceptable and is yet another indication of the critical risks caused by the illegal occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. – Energoatom press service The International Atomic Energy Agency has not yet commented on reports of today’s blackout at the ZNPP. On August 1, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said that the loss of the plant’s external power supply “once again underscores the fragile nuclear safety situation at the site.” the loss of the plant’s external power supply “once again underscores the fragile nuclear safety situation at the site” – Rafael Grossi, IAEA Director General The six reactors at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant have been in cold shutdown since 2022. The IAEA maintains a continuous presence at the site to monitor safety during shelling. Russian forces seized Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, with its six reactors, in the first weeks of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The plant is not generating electricity, while Ukraine and Russia regularly accuse each other of military activity near the ZNPP that threatens nuclear safety. The situation highlights the serious safety risks at the plant under its current control and occupation, while the international community continues to monitor developments surrounding the ZNPP. At the same time, experts emphasize the need for effective international coordination measures to ensure the facility’s stability and safety.