Nuclear safety under attack again: South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant partially disconnected from external power

IAEA reported a fire at the Ukrainian electrical substation Dniprovska 750-kilovolt, which, according to the Ukrainian side, occurred as a result of military actions. The agency said this on 22 May 2026. According to the agency, due to the incident one of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants – South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant – was partially disconnected from external power sources at the request of the system operator. Rescuers worked at the scene of the fire.

The substation Dniprovska 750 kV is of critical importance for energy security: it provides external power for the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant, and is also linked to the power supply of the Zaporizhzhia NPP, which is under Russian occupation. Even shut-down nuclear facilities require stable electricity to operate cooling and safety systems.

Director General IAEA Rafael Grossi expressed deep concern about the incident and emphasized that energy substations important for nuclear safety must not become targets of attacks.

“Such substations, which are critically important for nuclear safety, must never be targets of attacks”, – he said.

In its statement the IAEA did not detail the nature of the military actions that caused the fire. At the same time, the very fact of an incident at a facility of this level once again shows how dangerous the situation around Ukraine’s energy system remains during Russian aggression.

It is particularly alarming that Ukrainian NPPs depend on external power not only for electricity generation but also for the stable operation of safety systems. Therefore, strikes on or damage to substations, even if they do not occur directly on the territory of a nuclear power plant, can create additional risks.

The IAEA said it continues to closely monitor developments. For Mykolaiv region, where the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant is located, this is another warning: Russian strikes on the energy sector hit not only the lights in homes but also the systems on which the nuclear safety of the entire country depends.

Previously we wrote:

• IAEA: over 160 Russian drones near South Ukraine, Rivne and Chernobyl NPPs in two days
• South Ukraine NPP was forced to reduce output – IAEA warns of new risks
• South Ukraine NPP lost access to one of its power transmission lines due to shelling
• Nuclear safety under threat: a Russian drone exploded 800 meters from the South Ukraine NPP
• Strike on the Chernobyl NPP has consequences: damaged containment threatens collapse of the sarcophagus