IAEA Mediates Temporary Ceasefire to Repair Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Power Line

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced on Friday that it has mediated a temporary local ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. This marks the sixth such ceasefire since late last year, aimed at facilitating repairs to the power supply line feeding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi stated that "Russia and Ukraine have shown constructive cooperation with the Agency," adding that both parties agreed to a temporary ceasefire "to preserve nuclear safety."

In a post on X, the agency reported that the local ceasefire it brokered took effect today along the frontline near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. This ceasefire paves the way for essential repairs to the power line to avert the risk of a nuclear accident.

The post noted that the power line has been severed for over two months, leaving Europe's largest nuclear power plant reliant on a single 330-kilovolt line to supply electricity necessary for cooling its six inactive reactors.

The IAEA added that technicians from both sides will begin repairing damage to the 750-kilovolt Dniprovska power line caused by the conflict, once mines are cleared from the area. Preparations for the repair work have faced complex challenges, as the damaged transmission towers are tall and stretch across the frontline on the Dnipro River.