A local ceasefire has been declared at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant to allow for repairs to a critical power line
A local ceasefire went into effect on June 5 along the front line near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which will allow for repairs to the damaged high-voltage power line and reduce the risk of a nuclear accident.
Under the supervision of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), technical specialists from both sides will begin restoration work on the 750-kilovolt “Dniprovska” power line in the coming days.
A large-scale demining operation was carried out at the site prior to the start of repairs.
The Dniprovska line has been out of service for over two months, leaving Europe’s largest nuclear power plant dependent on a single 330-kilovolt backup power line.
It is through this line that the plant receives the electricity needed to safely cool the six power units, which are currently shut down.
In recent weeks, the Zaporizhzhia NPP has repeatedly lost access even to this single power line, forcing staff to start emergency diesel generators to maintain critical safety systems.
The current local ceasefire marks the sixth instance of a temporary suspension of hostilities organized through the mediation of IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.
This time, the negotiations proved particularly difficult due to the location of the damaged section. According to the agency, repairs must be carried out on high-voltage pylons located near the line of control along the Dnipro River.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stated that Ukraine and Russia cooperated constructively during lengthy and complex negotiations, which resulted in an agreement on a temporary ceasefire to ensure nuclear safety.
“The IAEA will continue to do everything possible to help protect people and the environment from the risk of a nuclear accident, which would benefit absolutely no one and would only exacerbate the destruction and suffering of wartime,” Grossi emphasized.
The IAEA stresses that restoring the 750 kV power line is critical for the stable and safe operation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which remains one of the most dangerous facilities in the combat zone.
On the morning of Thursday, June 4, the Zaporizhzhia Thermal Power Plant came under heavy fire from Russian occupation forces.
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