Is Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant currently operating?

No. The plant has been in cold shutdown since September 2022 but requires continuous cooling and grid electricity to prevent a radiological incident. It has operated on emergency diesel generators for extended periods since Russia occupied the facility in March 2022.

What did Ukraine's UN resolution demand?

The non-binding UN General Assembly resolution, passed 97–12 on 27 April 2026, called for an immediate halt to military operations within 30 kilometres of all nuclear facilities on Ukrainian territory.

Who controls Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant?

Russian forces have occupied the Zaporizhzhia plant since March 2022. It is operated under Russian state nuclear company Rosatom and monitored by a permanent IAEA team — the only international observers with regular access.

What would a nuclear incident at Zaporizhzhia mean for Europe?

Depending on wind direction, a significant radiological release could affect Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Moldova. The IAEA has previously described a worst-case scenario as comparable to the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, which contaminated 150,000 square kilometres.

Ukraine Warns of Nuclear Catastrophe Risk

Ukraine's deputy foreign minister told the UN on 27 April that drone strikes within 8 km of Zaporizhzhia risk a Chernobyl-level radiological event in central Europe.

Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Oleksandr Mishchenko issued a formal warning on 27 April 2026 that Russia's ongoing attacks near the Zaporizhzhia and Chornobyl nuclear facilities risk triggering a radiological catastrophe in central Europe. Speaking at an emergency session of the UN General Assembly's First Committee in New York, Mishchenko called for "an immediate and unconditional cessation of all military activity within a 30-kilometre radius of every nuclear facility on Ukrainian soil." Russia's delegation walked out before the vote on the non-binding resolution, which passed 97–12 with 47 abstentions.

The warning followed a concentrated Russian drone assault on 26–27 April in which, according to Ukraine's Air Force, 144 drones were launched in a single overnight wave. Air defense systems intercepted 124 of them — an 86 percent intercept rate — but 20 struck targets in the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Odesa oblasts. Fourteen people were injured in Odesa, regional emergency services confirmed on 27 April.

The specific concern at Zaporizhzhia — Europe's largest nuclear power plant — is the cooling system's dependence on grid-connected electricity. The plant has been Russian-occupied since March 2022 and has operated on emergency diesel generators for extended periods throughout the conflict. Independent satellite imagery analyzed by Planet Labs and reviewed by Reuters on 26 April showed impact craters within 8 kilometres of the Zaporizhzhia outer perimeter fence — closer than at any point since late 2024.

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Ukraine Warns of Nuclear Catastrophe Risk

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Ukraine Warns of Nuclear Catastrophe Risk

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