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Strikes Cut Output at Four Ukrainian Reactors as Zaporizhzhya Power Line Returns

IAEA warns that repeated damage to high‑voltage links leaves nuclear safety dependent on a fragile grid.

Overview

  • IAEA said November 19 attacks severed dedicated transmission lines at the Khmelnytskyi, Rivne and South Ukraine plants, prompting four of nine reactors to lower generation.
  • Khmelnitskyi and Rivne had already been operating below capacity for nearly two weeks after a substation critical to nuclear safety was damaged.
  • Zaporizhzhya’s main 750 kV Dniprovska line was reconnected after repairs, restoring off‑site power redundancy following a recent protection‑triggered disconnection.
  • IAEA teams at Khmelnytskyi and Rivne sheltered during air‑raid alerts, and the South Ukraine plant reported detecting 11 drones roughly one kilometre from the site.
  • Energoatom told Reuters that damage to transmission lines has forced nuclear output cuts and left hundreds of thousands without electricity, while a Russian envoy accused Ukraine of attacking nuclear facilities, a claim reported as disputed.