Another locally agreed ceasefire brokered by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is now in effect to allow the restoration of a 330 kV backup power supply line to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the agency said on Friday, Feb. 27.
“Demining activities are ongoing to ensure safe access for the repair teams,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said.
The Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe’s largest nuclear facility, has repeatedly lost external power connections since Russia seized it in 2022, forcing it to rely on backup systems and raising concerns about nuclear safety.
The IAEA has previously facilitated temporary local ceasefires to allow maintenance and inspection work around the plant, which remains under Russian control.
On Jan. 18 IAEA reported that repair work has begun on the 330 kV backup power transmission line Ferosplavna-1, which connects the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to Ukraine’s power grid. The repairs are being carried out by a Ukrainian technical team, while IAEA specialists are present on site and are monitoring the progress of the work.
As Ukrinform reported, according to the Ministry of Energy, since the start of the full-scale invasion Ukrainian power engineers have restored the Zaporizhzhia NPP’s power supply lines 42 times.