Repairs are underway for the damaged power lines connected to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, following a prolonged outage that occurred after local ceasefire zones were established, the UN’s nuclear regulatory body reported on Saturday.

Since Russian forces took control of the facility in March 2022, it lost its power connection to the grid on September 23 for the tenth time, marking the longest period without external power since the beginning of the invasion.

Rafael Grossi, the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), announced on X that repairs to the external power lines commenced after local ceasefire zones were created to facilitate this work.

The IAEA noted that both parties collaborated with the agency to enable the execution of a “complex repair plan.”

“Restoring off-site power is vital for nuclear safety and security,” the agency emphasized.

However, they did not specify the duration required for the repairs, which are believed to be necessary on both sides of the frontline, several kilometers away from the plant.

Since the power loss, Europe’s largest nuclear plant has relied on emergency diesel generators for its power needs. The IAEA has confirmed that safety protocols are being upheld, with reactors being adequately cooled.

Situated near Enerhodar along the Dnieper River, the nuclear facility lies near the active combat zone.

Prior to the conflict, the plant’s six reactors contributed about 20% of Ukraine’s electricity, but all have been shut down since Moscow assumed control.

Electricity is crucial for the plant’s cooling and safety systems to avert potential disasters.

At the start of October, Moscow asserted that the situation in Zaporizhzhia was “under control,” following concerns expressed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Both Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly accused one another of endangering nuclear safety through attacks on the site and have blamed each other for the recent power disruptions.