Russia and Ukraine Halt Fire Near Europe’s Largest Nuclear Power Plant. Here’s What We Know

A temporary ceasefire has been established around the temporarily Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to allow repairs to damaged external power lines, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on October 18.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said both sides “constructively cooperated” with the agency to implement a complex repair plan after the plant suffered a four-week power outage.

The blackout, which began on September 23, was the tenth and longest since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. During this period, the facility relied on emergency diesel generators to maintain cooling systems and other critical operations.

Since occupying the Zaporizhzhia plant in March 2022, Russian forces have repeatedly created conditions that undermined nuclear safety.

These included shelling near key infrastructure, disconnecting the plant from Ukraine’s national grid, stationing military vehicles on-site, and restricting access for Ukrainian personnel and international inspectors. The IAEA has documented several instances where safety systems were at risk due to these actions.

According to the IAEA, restoring off-site power is essential for nuclear safety, as it ensures the functioning of reactor and spent fuel cooling systems.

“Restoration of off-site power is of critical importance for nuclear safety,” the agency stated on X, emphasizing that repair teams must be guaranteed safe working conditions.

Citing Associated Press, European diplomats previously said the IAEA proposed a two-phase repair plan. The first phase involves creating a 1.5-kilometer ceasefire zone to restore the 750-kilovolt Dniprovska transmission line, which was damaged in territory under Russian control.

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The second phase will establish a similar safety zone on the Ukrainian-controlled side to repair the 330-kilovolt Ferrosplavna-1 backup line.

The IAEA had initially planned to begin repairs between October 11 and 17, but delays occurred when only Ukraine provided the necessary safety guarantees on time.

The Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe’s largest nuclear facility, has been under Russian occupation since March 2022. The IAEA has repeatedly warned that repeated disconnections from the national grid and reliance on backup generators increase the risk of a potential nuclear incident.

Rafael Grossi described the latest agreement as a “critical step” toward stabilizing the plant’s energy supply, though the agency continues to monitor compliance with the ceasefire and the progress of repair work.

Earlier in September, Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy warned that Russia had turned the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant into a “military tool,” following statements by Vladimir Putin about introducing new control systems at the site.

According to Radio Svoboda, Kyiv accused Moscow of creating “beyond-design” safety risks and repeatedly disconnecting the plant from Ukraine’s power grid—actions the ministry said could lead to a potential nuclear accident.

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