Russia, Ukraine agree to allow repairs at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi (not visible) visits the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in Russia-controlled Energodar, Ukraine, on March 29, 2023.
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Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a local ceasefire to allow repair of backup power lines to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, according to the United Nations nuclear watchdog.
A ceasefire has come into effect in southern Ukraine to ensure the restoration of the 330-kilovolt supply line to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a brief statement on Friday.
“Mine clearing activities continue to ensure safe access for repair teams,” IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said. in question on social media.
The local ceasefire, which the IAEA said it helped secure, came shortly after the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russian forces have been under control of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant since the first few weeks of the occupation.
Located in the southeast of the country, the facility is Ukraine’s largest and houses six of the 15 operating nuclear power reactors. It has recently become dependent on external power to maintain all basic nuclear security functions.
Both sides accused each other of increasing the risk of a catastrophic accident by launching attacks near the facility.
Russian nuclear energy company Rosatom in question IAEA experts at the power plant on Friday were monitoring repairs on the disconnected power line, according to state news outlet RIA Novosti.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to CNBC’s request for comment at the time this article went live.
View of the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant from the right bank of the Dnipro river. Currently, the left bank of the Dnipro River is occupied by Russian forces, including the nuclear power plant.
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Earlier this month the IAEA warned The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was operating on its last remaining power line, reportedly as a result of military activities near the switchyard operated by the Zaporizhzhia thermal power plant.
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War think tank in question The fifth year of the war in Russia did not start well for President Vladimir Putin, he said Tuesday, noting that Ukrainian forces have recently made the most significant gains on the battlefield since the country’s August 2024 attack on Russia’s Kursk Oblast.
