IAEA Secures Local Ceasefire at Zaporizhzhia Plant
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- IAEA reported that a localized ceasefire around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant began on Friday morning, permitting urgent repairs.
- Rafael Grossi has negotiated six temporary ceasefires since the war began in 2022, with this latest urging maximum military restraint and adherence to the ceasefire.
- Moscow and Kyiv agreed to pause fighting to repair the Dniprovska power line, which supplies electricity to the plant’s six shut‑down reactors after being disconnected for over two months.
- Rosatom said a Ukrainian drone struck engineers clearing mines at the plant, injuring at least three engineers, with two in serious condition; a separate statement cited five injured.
- The plant has been forced to rely on emergency diesel generators due to repeated loss of the single power line, raising concerns about nuclear safety.
- IAEA later noted a serious incident at the plant that injured Russian military personnel, indicating continued fighting despite the ceasefire.
Why it matters: The ceasefire lets technicians from both sides start fixing war‑damaged infrastructure, reducing the risk of a nuclear incident at Europe’s biggest plant, while the continued hostilities and injuries to Russian engineers underscore the fragile security environment and the urgent need for reliable power to keep the reactors cooled.
