Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant begins repairs with localised ceasefire brokered by IAEA
Moscow, June 5
Repair work has begun on a key external power line serving the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the plant's operator said Friday.
Specialists are restoring the 750-kilovolt Dniprovska transmission line, which has been disconnected since March 24. The operator said the work was made possible by a ceasefire aimed at protecting personnel working on energy infrastructure.
The Dniprovska line is a critical part of the plant's external power supply system. Its restoration is expected to improve power reliability and enhance nuclear and radiation safety, Xinhua news agency reported.
A Ukrainian combat drone struck the turbine hall of Unit 6 of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) on May 30.
Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspected the impact site.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi expressed serious concern over the reported drone strike on a turbine building at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, warning that attacks on nuclear facilities are "like playing with fire."
"A localised ceasefire brokered by the IAEA took effect on the frontline near the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) today, paving the way for crucial power line repairs to prevent the threat of a nuclear accident," the IAEA wrote on X on Friday.
It is the sixth temporary ceasefire that Grossi has negotiated with Russia and Ukraine since late last year to help secure off-site power and ensure nuclear safety.
Preparations for the repairs have been complicated by the location of the power line damage: on top of high pylons across the line of control in the Dnipro River, said the IAEA.
Meanwhile, Alexey Likhachev, director general of Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom, said on Friday the ceasefire will remain in force until June 23.
He also said that three people were injured as a result of a Ukrainian drone attack on the ZNPP.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally some sanity! 🙏 This repair work is crucial - imagine a Chernobyl-level disaster in the middle of an active war. The IAEA's persistence with these ceasefires is commendable, even if it's step-by-step. But both sides need to stop using nuclear plants as military bargaining chips. India with its own nuclear infrastructure should strongly support such de-escalation efforts.
Three people injured by a Ukrainian drone attack on the plant? This is deeply concerning. Both Russia and Ukraine have crossed red lines by targeting energy infrastructure near a nuclear facility. The international community, including India, must ensure that these ceasefires lead to lasting safety protocols. Nuclear safety cannot be held hostage to military objectives.
Rafael Grossi has been working overtime on this! 😅 But on a serious note, the 750-kilovolt Dniprovska line repair is absolutely essential for nuclear safety. I just hope the ceasefire holds until June 23 as Rosatom claims. India's stance on respecting IAEA-led initiatives is the right approach - we can't afford another nuclear disaster affecting global food and energy security.
I appreciate the IAEA's efforts, but these repeated ceasefires show how fragile the situation is. The repair teams have to work on high pylons across a frontline - that's insane courage. India has always emphasised dialogue and diplomacy in conflicts. We need a more robust international framework to protect all nuclear facilities during wars, not just ad-hoc truces.
This is literally "playing
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