IAEA brokers ceasefire for repairs at Zaporizhzhia plant
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has secured a temporary ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to allow repairs on its last remaining backup power line, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said on Friday.
Ukrainian crews are expected to fix a damaged 330 kV line in the coming days. Europe’s largest nuclear facility currently depends on a single high-voltage line for external power — a situation the IAEA says poses ongoing safety risks, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
“This temporary ceasefire, the fourth we have negotiated, demonstrates the indispensable role that we continue to play,” Grossi noted, adding that the agency is coordinating with both sides to prevent a nuclear accident during the conflict.
The plant has been under Russian control since March 2022. Moscow has sought to formalize its administration of the site despite international objections, raising concerns among nuclear experts about broader security risks.
The United States has proposed a joint management framework involving Ukraine, Russia and the U.S., but President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected the idea as unfair.
Power outages remain a recurring threat. Ukraine restored electricity to the facility in November after Russian attacks damaged transmission infrastructure, but the site again lost external power in December and has been operating on a single line since.
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