IAEA achieved a local ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine for the repair of ZNPP lines
Kyiv • UNN
The IAEA Director General confirmed the agreement of Ukraine and Russia on a local truce to restore the power line to the ZNPP. This will allow the restoration of the last backup line, which failed on January 2.
The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, has officially confirmed that Ukraine and Russia have agreed to a local ceasefire. This humanitarian decision will allow the restoration of the last backup power line to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) to begin. This is reported by UNN.
Details
A temporary ceasefire in the combat zone is critically necessary, as the 330 kV line was disabled on January 2. All this time, Europe's largest nuclear power plant has relied on only one functioning main line, which created significant risks for cooling systems.
The IAEA continues to work closely with both sides to ensure nuclear safety at the ZNPP and prevent a nuclear accident during the conflict. This temporary ceasefire, the fourth we have agreed to, demonstrates the indispensable role we continue to play.
A team of IAEA experts has already departed from Vienna directly to the front line to observe the progress of repair work, which will be carried out by Ukrainian specialists in the coming days.
ZNPP operation in freezing conditions
In addition to technical damage, the plant faces challenges due to abnormally cold weather. The IAEA team based at the facility confirmed that measures have been taken against groundwater freezing and temperature control for emergency diesel generators. This is necessary to maintain the operation of pumps that cool reactors and fuel pools.
Situation at other facilities
Grossi also expressed deep concern about the overall state of Ukraine's energy system:
- at the Chornobyl NPP, one of the lines was disconnected due to substation damage;
- one of the operating NPPs was forced to temporarily reduce capacity due to shelling of infrastructure;
- military objects were recorded flying within a radius of 5–10 km from the South Ukrainian and Khmelnytskyi NPPs.
The deterioration of Ukraine's energy system due to ongoing military activity has a direct impact on the nuclear safety of its nuclear facilities.
In the near future, the Agency plans to send another mission to assess the condition of ten critical Ukrainian electrical substations.