Work has officially begun to repair damaged power lines to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant following the creation of local ceasefire zones. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed the development on Saturday, describing it as a crucial step toward restoring external electricity to Europe’s largest nuclear facility.
The Zaporizhzhia plant, under Russian occupation since March 2022, lost its connection to the national grid on September 23 the tenth such outage since the invasion began. This marked the longest disruption of external power to the site.
According to Rafael Grossi, Director General of the IAEA, repairs are now proceeding under the protection of localized ceasefire agreements between Russian and Ukrainian forces. “Restoration of off-site power is crucial for nuclear safety and security,” the agency emphasized in a statement.
Both Russia and Ukraine have confirmed that repair operations are ongoing, with the IAEA coordinating efforts to ensure safety on both sides of the front line. The agency noted that the complex repair plan involves work spanning several kilometers.
During the outage, the facility has relied on backup diesel generators to keep cooling systems and other vital safety operations running. The IAEA stated that, despite the prolonged loss of grid power, reactor cooling has remained stable.
Located near the city of Enerhodar along the Dnieper River, the plant’s six reactors once provided about 20 percent of Ukraine’s electricity. However, all units were shut down after Moscow seized control in 2022.
Both Kyiv and Moscow continue to accuse each other of endangering nuclear safety by shelling the area around the plant. Earlier this month, Russia claimed that the situation at Zaporizhzhia was “under control,” responding to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s renewed concerns about the site’s security.
