Vienna, Jan 17 (.) A localised ceasefire agreed by Russia and Ukraine will enable repairs to begin on the damaged backup power line to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a statement on Friday.
Technicians from Ukraine’s electrical grid operator will begin repair work in the coming days on the 330 kV line, which was damaged and disconnected after the military activity on Jan. 2, the statement said.
Meanwhile, an IAEA team has left for the frontline in order to observe the repair works. Currently, the ZNPP is dependent on its sole functioning 750 kV main power line.
“The IAEA continues to work closely with both sides to ensure nuclear safety at the ZNPP and to prevent a nuclear accident during the conflict. This temporary ceasefire, the fourth we have negotiated, demonstrates the indispensable role that we continue to play”, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said in the statement.
The Zaporizhzhia plant, one of Europe’s largest nuclear facilities, has been under Russian control since March 2022.
. XINHUA ARN