A potential Russian strike on Europe’s largest nuclear power facility is raising alarm as intelligence sources warn Moscow may soon target critical power lines linked to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Ukrainian officials say the threat focuses on electricity transmission infrastructure rather than direct attacks on reactors, but the risk to nuclear safety remains severe.
Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence warned Jan. 17 that Moscow is considering attacks on substations vital to nuclear operations. “The threat is at ZNPP,” a source told Fox News Digital. “There are talks of a massive attack either tonight or in the coming nights.” The source said discussions inside the Ukrainian government have repeatedly centered on the plant’s power lines.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, located in southern Ukraine, includes six VVER-1000 reactors and has been under Russian occupation since March 2022. Although the reactors are not producing electricity, the plant relies on outside power to maintain cooling and safety systems. The International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly warned that disruptions to off-site power pose a serious nuclear safety risk.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said Jan. 16, “The IAEA continues to work closely with both sides to ensure nuclear safety at the ZNPP and to prevent a nuclear accident during the conflict.” He added, “A deterioration of Ukraine’s power grid from persistent military activity has direct implications on the nuclear safety of its nuclear facilities.”
The source also claimed Russia has warned Ukraine to halt strikes on tankers, oil refineries, and power stations. “If we keep shelling Russian tankers and oil refineries, then they will destroy everything that we have,” the source said, calling the situation “very difficult” for civilians facing cold temperatures, power outages, and water shortages.
