IAEA brokers temporary ceasefire for Zaporizhzhia plant power repairs

The International Atomic Energy Agency has secured a temporary agreement between Russia and Ukraine to allow repairs on the last backup power line at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said the agency is working with both sides to ensure nuclear safety and prevent any accident amid the conflict.

Repairs are crucial to maintain power at Europe’s largest nuclear facility, which has faced repeated threats from the ongoing war.

The plant, Europe’s largest, has been under Russian control since March 2022 and has faced repeated threats during the war. It has relied on emergency diesel generators to keep cooling systems and other critical safety functions running whenever external power lines were disrupted.

Safety concerns increased after the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in June 2023, which reduced the main water source for the plant’s cooling systems. Grossi previously said the plant remains safe thanks to alternative water sources, including groundwater wells and the cooling pond.

The Zaporizhzhia plant’s status is also a key issue in ongoing U.S.-mediated peace talks, described by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as one of the “most difficult” topics. Washington has proposed joint management of the plant, a suggestion Zelenskyy said was “very unfortunate and not entirely realistic” from Ukraine’s perspective. Russia has not publicly commented.

The IAEA continues to monitor the facility closely to prevent a potential nuclear disaster as the war enters its fourth year.

Copied