Zaporizhzhia: A temporary ceasefire has taken effect around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to allow repairs aimed at restoring its external electricity supply.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the local ceasefire began on Saturday to facilitate repairs to a damaged power line serving the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine.
The plant, Europe's largest nuclear power station, has been without external power since August 20 and has relied on emergency diesel generators to maintain essential cooling and safety systems.
The IAEA has warned that fuel supplies for the generators are running low, raising concerns over the plant's ability to maintain safety systems if external electricity is not restored or additional fuel is delivered.
Ukrainian technicians are expected to begin repairing the damaged Ferosplavna power line after the area is cleared of mines. The temporary ceasefire is expected to last about a week.
Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev said restoring the line would not necessarily result in the immediate return of external power, citing unresolved issues over reconnection.
Russian forces seized the plant during the early stages of the war in 2022. Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly accused each other of actions that could threaten nuclear safety at the facility.
The repair agreement highlights the importance of maintaining nuclear safety during armed conflict, with the IAEA continuing to facilitate measures intended to reduce risks at the site.
Zaporizhzhia plant is located in Energodar, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, on the southern shore of the Kakhovka Reservoir on the Dnieper River. It houses six VVER1000 pressurised water reactors each with a capacity of 950 MW, totalling 5700 MW, which previously supplied over 20 percent of Ukraine's electricity.
The reactors were commissioned sequentially from 1985 to 1996, and modernisation efforts have extended the operational lifetime of several units.
The plant also includes dry cask spent fuel storage facilities commissioned in 2004, able to store 380 casks of spent fuel, with continuous cooling requirements for safety.
