Chernobyl blackout: Power supply restored – no radiation risk, Kyiv confirms

KYIV REGION, 1 October 2025 – A targeted Russian drone strike on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in the city of Slavutych caused a complete power outage at the former Chernobyl nuclear power plant on Wednesday. For more than three hours, the site was left without external electricity, including the “New Safe Confinement” structure covering reactor four, which exploded in 1986. Power has since been fully restored. Radiation levels remain within normal limits, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy. Both the ministry and President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the incident, as reported by G.Business.

The attack and its impact

Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk said Russian drones struck a key substation in Slavutych, cutting off electricity to the city as well as parts of Kyiv and Chernihiv regions. The Chernobyl facility was completely de-energised. Particularly sensitive was the temporary blackout of the “New Safe Confinement” dome, completed in 2016, which protects the environment from radioactive debris inside reactor four.

President Zelensky described the strike as deliberate. “For more than three hours, the Chernobyl site had no power. This also affected the spent fuel storage, which contains 80 per cent of all nuclear waste accumulated during the plant’s operation,” he said on Telegram. According to Zelensky, over 20 drones – mostly Iranian-made Shahed models – were deployed. Some were intercepted, but the attack was deliberately organised in waves to overwhelm air defences.

Ministry: No risk to the public

By late evening, Ukraine’s Energy Ministry announced that power had been fully restored. “Radiation levels remain within control limits. There is no danger to the public,” Hrynchuk emphasised. She praised the swift work of engineers: “Your efforts mean safety – for Ukraine and for all of Europe.”

Wider nuclear security risks

Zelensky linked the Chernobyl blackout to the ongoing crisis at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which has been without external electricity for over eight days following Russian shelling. “Russia is deliberately creating the risk of nuclear incidents,” he warned, criticising the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its director Rafael Grossi for what he called a “weak response.”

Ukraine operates six nuclear power plants, all of which are potential targets for drones and missiles. Experts warn that attacks on nuclear infrastructure could pose not just regional but global threats.

Political pressure on Russia

Zelensky renewed his call on the EU, the United States, the G7 and G20 nations to act decisively. “Every day Russia prolongs this war, every refusal of a stable ceasefire, every strike against our energy system – including those safeguarding nuclear plants – is a global threat. Only strong pressure on Russia can protect lives,” the president said.

The Chernobyl blackout highlights once again the vulnerability of critical infrastructure in wartime – and why Europe cannot underestimate the nuclear risks posed by continued Russian aggression.

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