Mediaboss Marketing

More than half of Ukraine's primary energy supply comes from uranium and coal resources, according to the EIA, but supply lines for the latter have been interrupted by fighting in the eastern part of the country.

The major mining region of Donbass has seen heavy fighting between troops loyal to the government in Kiev and pro-Russian separatists. The nation now faces challenges getting its coal supplies to electricity producers following the destruction of rail lines by the separatists, CNBC previously reported.

Read MoreUkraine may have an energy problem besides nat gas

The incident at Zaporizhzhya fortunately did not interrupt supply or involve nuclear assets, but it underscored fragility in the country, said Robert Bensh, managing partner of Pelicourt, a private equity firm with energy interests in Ukraine.

"Ukraine has been unable to source coal and to increase or even maintain gas production. While it has been successful in obtaining reverse supplies of gas from Slovakia, nuclear is critical to continued electricity supply," Bensh said.

The event also reminded the world of Ukraine's history with nuclear power, he said. An explosion at northern Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986 spread radioactivity over Ukraine and Europe, killing at least 31 people and causing serious long-term effects.

The Zaporizhzhya accident was caused by a short circuit in the power transmission system, rather than the reactor itself, Ukrainian Energy Minister Volodymyr Demchyshyn said on Wednesday. As such, there was no threat to the surrounding area, he said. French nuclear safety institute IRSN confirmed it had not detected any increased radioactivity in the area.

Read More Russian oil oligarch: '$60 and below is possible'

The perception that another part of Ukraine's energy portfolio is at risk has the potential to strain relations between the government in Kiev and the Ukrainian people, who have endured rising fuel costs.

"Anything that adds to the difficulties that Ukraine has in providing energy for its population is a problem for Kiev. With Ukraine's harsh winters, it can be a humanitarian in addition to a political problem," said Ian Brzezinski, former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for Europe and NATO policy.

View original post here:
Nuclear failure was the last thing Ukraine needed