IAEA Brokers Ceasefire Near Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant to Repair Critical Power Line

A localized ceasefire negotiated by the International Atomic Energy Agency took effect near the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on June 5, clearing the way for urgent repairs to a severed power line.

The agency announced the truce—the sixth it has brokered between the two sides since late last year—in a post on X. It described the localized halt as a step taken "to prevent the threat of a nuclear accident" at Europe's largest atomic facility.

Technicians from Ukraine and Russia are due to begin repairing war-related damage to the 750-kV Dniprovska line in the coming days, once extensive demining of the surrounding area is complete.

The Dniprovska line has been disconnected for more than two months, leaving the plant dependent on a single 330-kV connection to power the cooling systems for its six shutdown reactors. That remaining link has failed repeatedly in recent weeks, forcing operators to fall back on emergency diesel generators.

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War in Ukraine

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The danger the ceasefire is meant to contain has shadowed the plant since Russian forces seized it in March 2022. All six reactors remain in cold shutdown, a state requiring uninterrupted external power for cooling, and repeated wartime disruptions to the site's supply lines have made backup generators a recurring last resort.

Russian forces have also militarized the grounds, positioning equipment near the reactors and launching drones from the site, while repeatedly alleging Ukrainian strikes on the facility ahead of IAEA board meetings.

The war has already inflicted lasting damage on Ukraine's nuclear infrastructure beyond Zaporizhzhia. A Russian drone strike compromised the protective arch over the destroyed reactor at the Chornobyl plant. The United States has signaled it is ready to contribute up to $100 million toward an estimated $500 million repair effort coordinated with international partners.

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