Zaporizhzhia: A localized ceasefire agreed by Russia and Ukraine will enable repairs to begin on the damaged backup power line to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a statement on Friday. Technicians from Ukraine’s electrical grid operator will commence repair work in the coming days on the 330 kV line, which was damaged and disconnected after military activity on January 2, the statement detailed.

According to Namibia Press Agency, an IAEA team has departed for the frontline to oversee the repair efforts. Presently, the ZNPP relies on its only operational 750 kV main power line. “The IAEA continues to work closely with both sides to ensure nuclear safety at the ZNPP and to prevent a nuclear accident during the conflict. This temporary ceasefire, the fourth we have negotiated, demonstrates the indispensable role that we continue to play,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stated in the release.

The Zaporizhzhia plant, recognized as one of Europe’s largest nuclear facilities, has been under Russian control since March 2022.