IAEA brokers localised Ukraine ceasefire to allow nuclear plant repairs
Concerns over the safety of the Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe’s largest, have been rife throughout Russia’s war on Ukraine.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has brokered a “localised ceasefire” in Russia’s war on Ukraine around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to allow vital repairs.
The United Nations’ nuclear agency reported that the ceasefire started on Friday morning.
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However, later in the day, the IAEA said it was aware of a serious incident at the plant which injured some Russian military personnel.
The safety and security of Zaporizhzhia, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, has been a chief concern during Russia’s war on Ukraine, now in its fifth year.
The front line runs across the eastern Zaporizhzhia region, leaving it plagued by intense ground fighting, drone bombardment and artillery exchanges. With concerns remaining high about the possibility of a nuclear accident, the IAEA said technicians from both sides will start repairing “war-related damage” in the coming days.
Friday’s is the sixth temporary ceasefire negotiated by Rafael Grossi, director general of the IAEA, since the war began in 2022.
Grossi urged maximum military restraint and full adherence to the ceasefire, according to a statement posted on X on Friday.
He said Moscow and Kyiv agreed to pause the fighting to allow repairs to the Dniprovska power line for “the sake of nuclear safety”.
The plant was disconnected from the line more than two months ago, leaving it reliant on a single line to supply the electricity needed to cool its six reactors which are shut down. In recent weeks, the plant has repeatedly lost access to that line, forcing the use of emergency diesel generators.
On Friday, fighting continued despite the temporary local ceasefire.
Russia’s nuclear energy corporation, Rosatom, said that a Ukrainian drone had deliberately struck engineers clearing mines around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, injuring at least three engineers.
“The strike was clearly calculated,” Rosatom head Alexei Likachev said in comments posted on social media. “Three of our engineers were injured. Two are in serious condition.” In a separate statement, Rosatom said five people were hurt.
An overnight drone attack in the Zaporizhzhia region killed a woman and wounded 16 other people, emergency services said.
Attacks continue across Ukraine
A Russian drone hit a food production facility near Kyiv, killing four people early on Friday morning, regional governor Mykola Kalashnyk posted on Telegram. “The enemy attacked a peaceful civilian food industry enterprise,” Kalashnyk said.
On Thursday evening, Russian drone attacks killed a 75-year-old man in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, according to the city’s military administration head, Yaroslav Shanko.
In Konotop city in northeastern Ukraine, three children were wounded in Russian attacks, Mayor Artem Semenikhin wrote on Telegram.
President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia will strengthen its air defences to stop recent Ukrainian drone attacks.
“Russia has an air defence system. Yes, we must improve it. Yes, we must strengthen it. And we will do so,” he said.
