Russian Invaders Build Power Transmission Line for ZNPP Along ‘Road of Death’

Russia is building a new power transmission line along the M18 highway, now known as the “Road of Death,” to connect the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) to the electricity grid serving Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine.

The findings were published in a report by Greenpeace Ukraine.

According to the report, construction of the power line, part of Russia’s broader plan to reconnect the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP to Russia’s own power grid, was nearly complete as of May.

However, the project has been repeatedly disrupted by Ukrainian drone strikes targeting critical energy infrastructure. In particular, an attack on a substation in Henichesk in early July affected construction progress.

According to the report, the new power transmission line is intended not only to support Russian military logistics and the operation of the extractive industries in the Russian-occupied south of Ukraine.

The line is also a key component of Moscow’s long-term plan to transmit electricity from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) to Russian-occupied territories, including Crimea, as well as to southern regions of Russia.

The report’s authors also criticize statements made by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi.

His remarks suggesting that the reactors could be restarted under the management of the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom effectively reinforce Russian narratives.

The report notes that the construction of the new Melitopol–Henichesk power transmission line is just one element of a broader Russian strategy aimed at maintaining long-term control over the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) and integrating the facility into Russia’s power grid.

The plan envisions supplying electricity to the Russian-occupied parts of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, as well as the Donbas and Crimea, before eventually transmitting power to southern Russia’s electricity grid.

According to the report’s authors, Rosatom views the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) as a cheaper alternative to building new nuclear power units in Russia’s Rostov Oblast and Krasnodar Krai.

Previously, the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine reported that Russian forces have effectively turned the ZNPP into a military base, storing weapons and parking military equipment inside the plant’s buildings.