Greenpeace Ukraine: Russia builds new power line for Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant launch

Russia is likely preparing to reactivate the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) by constructing a new power line to the captured facility, according to a report from Greenpeace Ukraine.

The environmental organization said, citing satellite imagery, that “construction is on-going to the west of Berdiansk in Zaporizhzhia region and to the north west of Mariupol, Donetsk region.”

Satellite photos of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant revealed that by May, occupying forces had erected a 90-kilometer (56-mile) defensive line with fortifications. Notably, no construction activity was visible in images taken prior to February of this year.

“The latest imagery shows that between May 11 – 22, 2025, 15 pylons and an electricity line over 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) in length was constructed from the east of Topolyne, north of Mariupol, in Donetsk region,” the organization said.

The organization anticipates that the construction will extend through the end of May, particularly across the Kalchytske Reservoir.

Their projections indicate that the power line will stretch an additional 100 kilometers (62 miles) westward to occupied Melitopol, where it is slated for connection to a 330-kilovolt substation. To the east, the line is expected to link with a 750/330 kilovolt substation situated north of occupied Mariupol.

Greenpeace Ukraine emphasized the significant nuclear safety risks associated with restarting the ZNPP reactors. 

These concerns include the deteriorated condition of equipment after three years of Russian occupation, a lack of qualified personnel, a single, unreliable external power supply without a backup, and the potential for reactor overheating and damage due to insufficient cooling water circulation, which could cause radioactive contamination beyond the plant’s boundaries.

“It is impossible for Rosatom to meet nuclear safety guidelines in seeking to restart ZNPP. We have called on the IAEA Director General to make this explicitly clear to Rosatom and Russian government representatives in his upcoming meetings,” said Jan Vande Putte, nuclear expert at Greenpeace Ukraine. “The IAEA must stop signaling to the Russian government that there is any legitimate pathway for their restart of reactors at Zaporizhzhia.”