IAEA negotiated for local Russia-Ukraine ceasefire help repair damaged nuclear plant

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Friday said it has brokered a temporary localized ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, marking the sixth such agreement since late last year. The arrangement is intended to enable urgent repair work on a damaged power supply line serving the International Atomic Energy Agency-monitored Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

In a post on X, the IAEA said the ceasefire “took effect on the frontline near the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant today, paving the way for crucial power line repairs to prevent the threat of a nuclear accident.” The agency added that the pause in hostilities is critical to reduce risks to nuclear safety at the site.

According to the IAEA, technicians from both sides are expected to begin work in the coming days to repair war-related damage to the 750-kilovolt Dniprovska transmission line. The repair effort will follow extensive demining of the surrounding area to ensure safe access for crews.

The power line has been disconnected for more than two months, leaving Europe’s largest nuclear power facility dependent on a single 330-kilovolt line to supply the electricity required to cool its six shut-down reactors. The agency warned that this fragile configuration has heightened operational risks at the site.

The IAEA also said the plant has intermittently lost access to the remaining power line in recent weeks, forcing it to rely on emergency diesel generators to maintain critical cooling systems.

-Reporting by Linda Pasquini; editing by Himani Sarkar and Thomas Seythal/Reuters/Reuters