On Friday, Russia and Ukraine reached an agreement for a localized ceasefire to facilitate repairs on the last operational backup power line at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, as reported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Repair work on the line, which had been damaged and severed due to military actions on January 2, is expected to commence “in the coming days,” according to the UN nuclear oversight body.
“This provisional ceasefire, the fourth one we have successfully mediated, highlights the crucial role we continue to play,” commented Rafael Grossi, the director general of the IAEA.
The Vienna-based agency noted that its team on-site has witnessed “numerous explosions, including some in the vicinity of the facility.”
Additionally, the team has reported experiencing multiple air raid alerts daily over the past week and received information about a military aircraft sighted approximately 10 kilometers (about six miles) from the plant.
The Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest nuclear facility in Europe, has been under Russian control since March 2022. Although its six reactors have been offline since the occupation, the plant still requires electricity to sustain its cooling systems and maintain security.
Both Russia and Ukraine have consistently accused one another of endangering the site and provoking a potential nuclear disaster through their military actions.
