Conflict & Security
Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant power losses concern IAEA
The International Atomic Energy Agency said Thursday that the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine has lost access to external power 24 times since Russia invaded in February 2022, with half of those losses in the past four months.
The UN nuclear watchdog said the plant briefly lost power on Tuesday and that the reason was still unclear. IAEA head Rafael Grossi said the rising number of off-site power cuts was “deeply concerning and clearly not sustainable.”
The IAEA said its team at the plant continues to hear military activity, including explosions, several times a day, often close to the site. It again called for “maximum military restraint.”
Zaporizhzhia, Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant, is near the front line and has been occupied by Russian forces since March 2022. Its six reactors have been shut down since the occupation, but the site still needs electricity for cooling and security systems. Emergency diesel generators have supplied power during previous cuts.
The warning came as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned recent attacks on civilian areas in both Russia and Ukraine. UN spokesman Farhan Haq said attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law and must stop.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine struck two Russian oil refineries overnight in Russia’s Bashkortostan and Yaroslavl regions. Russia’s defence ministry said it downed 605 Ukrainian drones overnight, while the governor of Yaroslavl said 92 drones were downed there.
Russian attacks in Ukraine killed two people at Lozova train station in the Kharkiv region, according to the earlier published account. Odesa regional governor Oleg Kiper said Russia hit a commercial vessel carrying Ukrainian wheat in the Black Sea, killing one person. A day earlier, Russian missile attacks on Kyiv killed at least 17 people.
Update
The IAEA said the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has lost access to external power 24 times since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
The IAEA said half of those power losses happened in the past four months.
The IAEA said the plant briefly lost power on Tuesday and the reason was still unclear.
The IAEA said its team at the plant continues to hear military activity, including explosions, several times a day, often close to the site.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 August 2026 at 18:33:37 UTC.
Update
The International Atomic Energy Agency warned of a rising number of off-site power losses at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said the trend was deeply concerning and not sustainable.
The IAEA said its team at the plant was still hearing military activity, including explosions, several times a day, often close to the site.
The plant briefly lost power on Tuesday, and the reason for that outage was unclear.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 August 2026 at 18:23:14 UTC.
Update
A senior Ukrainian official said Volodymyr Zelensky would visit Serbia this weekend, his first visit there since Russia's invasion.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's office confirmed an official visit.
Vucic's office said talks would include EU membership bids, economic cooperation and energy cooperation.
Vucic's office said Serbia's policy, including not imposing sanctions on Russia, would remain in place until further notice.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 August 2026 at 17:51:45 UTC.
Update
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an end to attacks on civilian areas in Russia and Ukraine.
UN spokesman Farhan Haq said the latest attacks followed an alarming pattern of escalating strikes against populated areas.
Haq said attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are a clear violation of international humanitarian law and must stop immediately.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 August 2026 at 16:51:45 UTC.
Update
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine hit oil refineries in Russia's Bashkortostan and Yaroslavl regions overnight.
Zelensky said the refinery sites were about 1,300 kilometres and 700 kilometres from the front.
Fresh Russian attacks killed two people at Lozova train station in Ukraine's Kharkiv region.
Odesa regional governor said Russia hit a commercial vessel carrying Ukrainian wheat in the Black Sea, killing one person.
Russian missile attacks on Kyiv a day earlier killed at least 17 people and destroyed warehouses belonging to retailers.
Zelensky called urgently for air defence supplies after Kyiv was unable to down any of the missiles Russia fired.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 August 2026 at 07:58:55 UTC.
Update
Russia's defence ministry flagged attacks in the Tver region northwest of Moscow.
Tver regional governor Vitaly Korolyov said debris from one drone slightly damaged the facade of a Wildberries logistics centre and that no one was wounded.
Yaroslavl regional governor Mikhail Yevrayev said 92 drones were shot down in what he called the region's most massive attack.
Yevrayev said debris caused fires in houses and damaged cars in Yaroslavl region.
The item adds context that Wildberries sites have repeatedly been struck since mid-July.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 August 2026 at 06:15:48 UTC.
Update
Local authorities reported slight damage to a Wildberries logistics centre.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 August 2026 at 06:00:26 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The reason for Tuesday’s brief power loss at Zaporizhzhia was unclear.
Responsibility for risks and attacks around the plant is disputed by Moscow and Kyiv.
Source
AFP news report published on .