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Cases / War and military activity · Ukraine · 2022–2026

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant under Russian control, 2022–2026

Nature's voice · report
The level of my cooling pond fell by just over 3.2 m between June 2023 and September 2025, the IAEA said, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine.
Did nature suffer? Yes. Harm is on record.
Recorded
What the record lacks: 5 none on record · 1 self-reported only · 9 disputed · 2 unclear See the gaps

Russian forces have held the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe's largest, since March 2022. The IAEA's reports, relayed by BASE, record repeated losses of off-site power and a falling cooling-pond level after the Kakhovka dam was destroyed; Energoatom reported losses of UAH 598.9 billion in lost revenue and delivered a USD 3 billion treaty dispute notice to Russia.

25Complete losses of off-site power, to 8 August 2026
Count in BASE's chronology of IAEA statements; a Ukrainian official called the outage reported on 29 August 2026 “the 27th blackout”. Counts differ.

Status As of October 2026: the plant was under Russian control with six reactors in cold shutdown; Ferosplavna-1 was reconnected on 7 September 2026 after almost three weeks without off-site power; Rostekhnadzor had licensed Units 1 and 2; no settlement or arbitration case is on record.

What?
Russian forces have held Europe's largest nuclear plant since March 2022. The IAEA recorded 24 complete losses of off-site power by 7 August 2026 and a cooling-pond level down just over 3.2 m since the Kakhovka dam was destroyed; Energoatom reports lost revenue of UAH 598.9 billion. BASE (Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management, Germany)
Where?
Enerhodar, Zaporizhzhia oblast, Ukraine, on the left bank of the Dnipro (former Kakhovka reservoir). BASE (Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management, Germany)
When?
Held by Russian forces since March 2022; Kakhovka dam destroyed on 6 June 2023; licences December 2025 and February 2026; power losses through September 2026. BASE (Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management, Germany)
Who?
Gained
  • Russia / Rosatom — Control of the plant under the decree of 5 October 2022 and Rostekhnadzor licences for Units 1 and 2; restart plans stated by Rosatom World Nuclear News
Lost
  • Energoatom — Lost revenue of UAH 598.9 billion to 27 February 2026 (company calculation); supplies 40–50 MW to the plant's own needs at its own cost Interfax-Ukraine
Harmed
Why?
Russian forces seized the plant on 4 March 2022 during the war; Russia's decree of 5 October 2022 took it into federal ownership; Ukraine disputes that status. World Nuclear News
How?
Rosatom operates the plant through the Operating Organisation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP and holds Rostekhnadzor licences for Units 1 and 2; the IAEA brokered local ceasefires for line repairs; Energoatom delivered a treaty dispute notice to Russia. World Nuclear News
6 of 6 questions answered from the record

What happened

The record, in order.

On 4 March 2022 a projectile hit a training centre at the Zaporizhzhia plant overnight and started a fire; Russia took military control of the site while Ukrainian staff kept operating it. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said that the projectile “is coming from the Russian forces” and that the integrity of the reactors was not compromised; Russia's Defence Ministry blamed Ukrainian “saboteurs”, and Reuters could not independently verify either account. Energoatom and Rosatom confirmed on 13 March 2022 that Rosatom staff had arrived at the site. IAEA personnel have been present at the plant since 1 September 2022; the plant stopped generating electricity on 11 September 2022 and all six reactors were later in cold shutdown. On 5 October 2022 President Putin signed a decree creating the Operating Organisation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP and taking the nuclear facilities into Russian federal ownership; Ukraine's Energoatom called the arrangement “worthless, absurd and inadequate”.

The destruction of the Kakhovka dam on 6 June 2023 lowered the reservoir that supplied cooling water. According to World Nuclear News, the reservoir stood at about 16.4 m that morning and water could no longer be pumped below 12.7 m; Grossi said the cooling pond would be sufficient for some months. By 30 September 2023, 11 new groundwater wells supplied about 250 m³/hour, estimated enough for all 12 sprinkler ponds (BASE). The IAEA said on 4 September 2025, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine, that the cooling-pond level had fallen by just over 3.2 m since June 2023, nearly 60 cm in the previous three months; an isolation dam had been built in the cooling-pond channel and all twelve sprinkler ponds were full. In February 2026 Rosatom's director general Alexei Likhachev said construction had started on a floating modular pumping station of up to 80,000 m³/hour.

Off-site power was repeatedly lost. The IAEA reported, according to BASE, a ninth complete outage on 4 July 2025 and 24 complete outages by 7 August 2026, 12 of them in four months. A 750 kV line was cut on 24 March 2026, leaving the plant on a single 330 kV line. The last line was cut again on 20 August 2026 at 00:44, cause undetermined, and the plant ran on seven diesel generators until the Ferosplavna-1 line was reconnected on the evening of 7 September 2026 after repairs under a local ceasefire brokered by Grossi, the seventh such ceasefire. The IAEA urged replenishment of depleted diesel reserves; Al Jazeera, citing AP, reported about 10 days of diesel on site on 29 August 2026. In August 2026 work began to raise water levels in the spent-fuel pools of all six units. A drone hit a turbine building on 30 May 2026; the IAEA reported damage to a wall and a hatch and drone debris, without attributing it. BASE's entries for 2025–2026 record no abnormal radiation.

Russia's regulator Rostekhnadzor issued a 10-year operating licence for Unit 1 on 23 December 2025 and for Unit 2 on 19 February 2026; licences for Units 3–5 were planned by the end of 2026 and an application for Unit 6 was pending. Rosatom said the licence confirmed that equipment, safety systems and personnel qualifications fully complied, and that restarts were conditional on there being no military threat. Likhachev said in May 2025 that a plan existed to bring the plant to full capacity, with four tasks: water supply, replacing power grids, rebuilding railway infrastructure and “American fuel”. Grossi said in June 2025 that there was a common view that a restart in the current military situation would be inadvisable. Zelensky's 20-point plan of 30 December 2025 gave Ukraine 50% of the plant's output (NucNet).

Energoatom reported losses by its own calculations: more than UAH 210 billion by 18 June 2024 (acting head Petro Kotin), and lost production of 155.02 million MWh and lost revenue of UAH 598.9 billion as of 27 February 2026. Its chairman, Pavlo Kovtoniuk, said Ukraine supplied 40–50 MW to the plant's own needs, a financial loss Energoatom bore. In March 2023 Energoatom delivered a notice of dispute to Russia under Article 9(1) of the 1998 Ukraine–Russia investment agreement over its investments in Zaporizhzhia region, including the plant, with Shearman & Sterling LLP; Global Arbitration Review reported the amount as USD 3 billion. The company said that, failing an amicable resolution, it intended to refer the dispute to international arbitration. Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office opened proceedings on 4 March 2022 citing Article 441 (ecocide) and Article 258(2) (terrorist act) of the Criminal Code over the attack on the plant.

  1. 2022Projectile hits training centre, Russia takes control (4 Mar); Prosecutor General opens proceedings (4 Mar); Rosatom staff arrive (13 Mar); IAEA personnel at the plant (1 Sep); generation stops (11 Sep); Putin decree on the operating organisation (5 Oct)
  2. 2023Energoatom delivers treaty dispute notice to Russia (Mar); Kakhovka dam destroyed (6 Jun); 11 new wells supply about 250 m³/hour (by 30 Sep)
  3. 2024Energoatom reports losses of more than UAH 210bn (18 Jun)
  4. 2025Ninth complete outage (4 Jul); cooling-pond level down just over 3.2 m since June 2023 (4 Sep); Rostekhnadzor licence for Unit 1 (23 Dec)
  5. 2026Licence for Unit 2 (19 Feb); Energoatom lost revenue UAH 598.9bn (27 Feb); 750 kV line cut (24 Mar); drone hits turbine building (30 May); complete loss of off-site power 20 Aug–7 Sep; Ferosplavna-1 reconnected (7 Sep)

What was said

Claims, in the words of those who made them.

“this projectile is a projectile that is coming from the Russian forces”

“the integrity of the reactors in themselves was not compromised”

“designed to ensure the safe operation of the NPP and the professional activities of the existing plant personnel”

Rosatom, on the Russian decree of 5 October 2022 · October 2022 · translated from Russian · World Nuclear News

“worthless, absurd and inadequate”

Energoatom, on the Russian decree · October 2022 · translated from Ukrainian · World Nuclear News

“will be sufficient to provide water for cooling for some months”

Rafael Grossi, IAEA Director General, on the cooling pond · 6 June 2023 · World Nuclear News

“reliable access to cooling water is essential for nuclear safety and security”

“The availability of diesel fuel is of paramount importance whenever a nuclear power plant loses off-site power”

Rafael Grossi, IAEA Director General, as reported by Al Jazeera (AP) · 29 August 2026 · Al Jazeera (AP)

“the 27th blackout”

Gyunduz Mamedov, Ukrainian official, as reported by Al Jazeera (AP) · 29 August 2026 · translated from Ukrainian · Al Jazeera (AP)

“We have developed a plan for bringing Zaporizhia NPP to full capacity”

“Our goal remains unchanged - to prepare all units for future generation”

Alexei Likhachev, Rosatom director general · February 2026 · translated from Russian · World Nuclear News

“confirms that the power unit's equipment, safety systems, and personnel qualifications fully comply”

Rosatom, on the Rostekhnadzor licence for Unit 2 · February 2026 · translated from Russian · World Nuclear News

“This is exclusively a Ukrainian plant.”

Pavlo Kovtoniuk, Energoatom chairman, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine · 4 March 2026 · translated from Ukrainian · Interfax-Ukraine

“Failing an amicable resolution of the dispute, the Company intends to refer this dispute to international arbitration.”

“It is difficult to give an exact timeframe for the restoration process.”

Evgeniya Yashina, communications director of the plant under Russian control, to RIA Novosti · June 2026 · translated from Russian · Nuclear Engineering International

Where accounts differ

Each party's account, side by side, with its source. The record does not settle these points; it shows them.

Who owns the plant and who has the right to license it?
Company or project
Energoatom (Pavlo Kovtoniuk)

“This is exclusively a Ukrainian plant.” Russian licences do not meet international standards and are political (Interfax-Ukraine paraphrase, 4 March 2026).

Interfax-Ukraine
Government and regulators
Russia (Putin decree of 5 October 2022; Rostekhnadzor)

The nuclear facilities were taken into Russian federal ownership; Rostekhnadzor issued 10-year licences for Unit 1 (23 December 2025) and Unit 2 (19 February 2026).

World Nuclear News
Company or project
Rosatom

The licence “confirms that the power unit's equipment, safety systems, and personnel qualifications fully comply”.

World Nuclear News
Who fired the projectile that hit the training centre on 4 March 2022?
International bodies
IAEA (Rafael Grossi)

“this projectile is a projectile that is coming from the Russian forces”; reactor integrity was not compromised.

Reuters (via The Jakarta Post)
Government and regulators
Russia's Ministry of Defence

Blamed Ukrainian “saboteurs”.

Reuters (via The Jakarta Post)
Who damaged the Kakhovka dam on 6 June 2023?
Government and regulators
Ukraine

Russian shelling caused the damage (World Nuclear News summary).

World Nuclear News
Government and regulators
Russia

Blamed Ukraine (World Nuclear News summary).

World Nuclear News
How many complete losses of off-site power has the plant had?
International bodies
IAEA, via BASE's chronology

24 complete losses by 7 August 2026 and a 25th on 8 August 2026.

BASE (Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management, Germany)
Government and regulators
Gyunduz Mamedov, Ukrainian official

Called the outage reported on 29 August 2026 “the 27th blackout”.

Al Jazeera (AP)
Press and investigations
Nuclear Engineering International

Numbered the event of 20 June 2026 as the 20th.

Nuclear Engineering International

How it looked

What was shown, beside what was recorded.

Shown

  • A claim that the projectile of 4 March 2022 came from Ukrainian saboteurs
    Russia's Ministry of Defence · Reuters (via The Jakarta Post)
  • A claim that the Kakhovka dam damage was caused by Russian shelling
    Ukraine, as summarised by World Nuclear News · World Nuclear News
  • A claim that Ukraine was responsible for the Kakhovka dam damage
    Russia, as summarised by World Nuclear News · World Nuclear News
  • A licence that, in Rosatom's account, confirms the safety of the unit's equipment, systems and personnel
  • A statement that full nuclear and radiation safety is possible only after de-occupation
    Energoatom (paraphrase, September 2026) · Euromaidan Press

Recorded

  • BASE's chronology of IAEA statements records no abnormal radiation in any 2025–2026 entry.
  • Six reactors in cold shutdown; seven diesel generators running at all times during the outage of 20 August–7 September 2026 (BASE).
  • Cooling pond down just over 3.2 m from June 2023 to September 2025; groundwater wells and sprinkler ponds supplying cooling water (IAEA via Interfax-Ukraine; BASE).
  • After reconnection the plant's own needs drew 11 MW (Energoatom, via Euromaidan Press).
  • IAEA personnel have been present at the plant since 1 September 2022; as of 5 September 2026 the IAEA said both sides were cooperating with it (Bernama/Anadolu).
  • Energoatom reported losses of more than UAH 210 billion (USD 5.2 billion as stated by the Kyiv Independent), including UAH 35 billion in the first week and about UAH 6 billion per month, to 18 June 2024 (acting head Petro Kotin).

Who gained

Money that reached nature, beside money that stayed elsewhere.

Reached nature or the ground

Not published
Compensation paid by a party held responsible—
None on record.

Gained elsewhere

Not totalled
Energoatom losses (UAH, company calculation)> 210bn
Window: to 18 June 2024
UAH 210 billion; USD 5.2 billion as stated by the Kyiv Independent.
Energoatom lost revenue (UAH, company calculation)598.9bn
Window: to 27 February 2026
UAH 598.9 billion; lost production of 155.02 million MWh.
Treaty dispute notice, amount reported (USD)3bn
Window: March 2023
USD 3 billion per Global Arbitration Review.
Currency: Mixed (see each line) · Window: Mixed — see each line. Figures cover different periods and are not compared as a ratio. * Estimate built from cited figures.

Responses on record

  • russia-ministry-defence (4 March 2022): Blamed Ukrainian “saboteurs” for the projectile of 4 March 2022. · Reuters (via The Jakarta Post)
  • rosatom (February 2026): The licence “confirms that the power unit's equipment, safety systems, and personnel qualifications fully comply”; restarts are conditional on no military threat. · World Nuclear News
  • energoatom (4 March 2026): The plant is “exclusively a Ukrainian plant”; Russian licences do not meet international standards (Interfax-Ukraine paraphrase). · Interfax-Ukraine
  • iaea (June 2025 and September 2026): A restart in the current military situation would be inadvisable (Grossi, June 2025); both sides are cooperating with the IAEA (September 2026). · World Nuclear News

In court and with insurers

Every proceeding and every insurer decision on record.

Lawsuits and rulings

  1. 2022–No defendant left
    Ukraine Prosecutor General's proceedings over the attack on the Zaporizhzhia plant
    Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine (pre-trial investigation) · Criminal · Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine → No defendant named

    On 4 March 2022 the Prosecutor General's Office said it had opened proceedings citing Part 2 of Article 28, Article 441 (ecocide) and Part 2 of Article 258 (terrorist act) of the Criminal Code over the attack on the Zaporizhzhia plant, in connection with the seizure of the Chornobyl and Zaporizhzhia plants. The status is investigation. Interfax-Ukraine

  2. 2023–Ongoing$3bn amount reported by Global Arbitration Review
    Energoatom notice of dispute against Russia under the 1998 investment agreement
    International arbitration (notice stage) · Arbitration · Energoatom (with Shearman & Sterling LLP) → Russia

    In March 2023 Energoatom delivered a notice of dispute to Russia under Article 9(1) of the 1998 Ukraine–Russia investment agreement over its investments in Zaporizhzhia region, including the plant. Energoatom said that, failing an amicable resolution, it intended to refer the dispute to international arbitration. No tribunal or award is on record. Transnational Dispute Management

  3. 2025–2026Outcome not on record
    Rostekhnadzor operating licences for Zaporizhzhia Units 1 and 2
    Rostekhnadzor (Russia) · Regulatory · Operating Organisation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP (Rosatom) → Not applicable

    Rostekhnadzor issued a 10-year licence for Unit 1 on 23 December 2025 and for Unit 2 on 19 February 2026; an application for Unit 6 was pending and licences for Units 3–5 were planned by the end of 2026. Ukraine's Energoatom says the licences do not meet international standards. World Nuclear News

Insurers

No insurer decision on record.

What nature saw

Outcomes measured on the ground, and nature's note.

Nature's report opens this page. Below: further outcomes measured on the ground.

Cooling-pond level
−3.2 m
Fall of just over 3.2 m, June 2023 to September 2025 (IAEA via Interfax-Ukraine)
Complete losses of off-site power
25
To 8 August 2026 (BASE chronology of IAEA statements)
Abnormal radiation recorded
None
In any 2025–2026 BASE entry
Energoatom lost revenue
UAH 598.9bn
Company calculation, to 27 February 2026

What we don't know

Undisclosed, unproven, untried: recorded as data.

Money

  • None on record Compensation paid by a party held responsible — None on record.

Court

  • Unclear Rostekhnadzor operating licences for Zaporizhzhia Units 1 and 2: outcome not on record.

Accounts

  • Disputed Who owns the plant and who has the right to license it?
  • Disputed Who fired the projectile that hit the training centre on 4 March 2022?
  • Disputed Who damaged the Kakhovka dam on 6 June 2023?
  • Disputed How many complete losses of off-site power has the plant had?

Record

  • Disputed Figures differ: BASE's chronology of IAEA statements counted 24 complete losses of off-site power by 7 August 2026 and a 25th on 8 August; Nuclear Engineering International numbered the event of 20 June 2026 as the 20th; a Ukrainian official called the outage reported on 29 August 2026 “the 27th blackout”.
  • Disputed Figures differ: Energoatom gave losses of more than UAH 210 billion (18 June 2024) and lost revenue of UAH 598.9 billion (27 February 2026); both are company calculations.
  • Disputed Figures differ: the Kakhovka dam collapse is dated 6 June 2023 by World Nuclear News and 5 or 6 June 2023 by BASE.
  • Self-reported only Self-reported only: Energoatom's loss figures are company calculations, and the Kyiv Independent article of 18 June 2024 does not say what they exclude or how they were calculated; Energoatom said the losses would be finally determined after de-occupation.
  • None on record None on record: measured ecological data on the effects of the cooling-pond decline, the Kakhovka reservoir loss and groundwater draw-down on aquatic ecosystems in nuclear-specific sources.
  • None on record None on record: a restart statement for 2025–2026 in BASE's chronology; Interfax (December 2025) and World Nuclear News (February 2026) gave no cost or investment figures for a restart.
  • None on record None on record: a case number, tribunal or award in Energoatom's treaty dispute.
  • Unclear None on record: a Rosatom figure for spending on the plant, the new power line or the pumping station.
  • None on record None on record: a settlement on the plant's status as of October 2026.
  • Disputed Disputed: ownership and legal status. Energoatom says the plant is exclusively Ukrainian and that Russian licences do not meet international standards; Russia treats it as federal property under the decree of 5 October 2022, with Rosatom as operator.
  • Disputed Disputed: responsibility for the projectile of 4 March 2022 and for the Kakhovka dam damage; Russia and Ukraine give opposing accounts (see disputes).

Did the harm stop?

Ongoing: the plant remained under Russian control as of the latest BASE entry of 11 September 2026, with six reactors in cold shutdown.

Who paid?

Energoatom reported lost revenue of UAH 598.9 billion to 27 February 2026 and said Ukraine supplied 40–50 MW to the plant's own needs at its own cost (chairman, March 2026). None on record: compensation paid by Russia or Rosatom.

Sources

Voices on record: ✓ Company or project✓ Government and regulators— Courts✓ Press and investigations— Communities and civil society— Researchers

Company or project

Government and regulators

  1. On the current situation in Ukraine
    BASE (Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management, Germany) · 2022–2026 (running chronology, latest 11 September 2026)

Press and investigations

  1. IAEA on ZNPP cooling pond level
    Interfax-Ukraine · 2025-09-05
  2. Rosatom confirms long-term plans to restart Zaporizhia
    Nuclear Engineering International · 2025-05-28
  3. Ceasefire allows ZNPP repairs
    Nuclear Engineering International · 2026-06-22
  4. Zaporizhzhia losses over $5 billion
    Kyiv Independent · 2024-06-18

Connected cases

Related matters, and cases linked to this one through the same organisations, with the role each played in both.

Law and courts

Arbitration
A private dispute process in which an appointed arbitrator, instead of a court, decides the case.

Science and environment

Groundwater
Water held underground in soil and rock, drawn through wells.