The IAEA has initiated consultations to establish a temporary ceasefire zone in the area where Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) last remaining back-up 330 kV line was damaged and disconnected as a result of military activity on 2 January, leaving the plant entirely dependent on its sole functioning 750 kV line, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.

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The proposal requests both the Russian Federation and Ukraine to agree to a temporary ceasefire zone at a location approximately 10 kilometres from the Zaporizhzhya Thermal Power Plant 330 kV open switchyard, to enable Ukrainian technicians to safely perform the necessary repairs.

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The latest ceasefire proposal comes after successful repairs were carried out under an IAEA-brokered local ceasefire on 30 December, marking the third time in recent months when  temporary truce arrangements negotiated and overseen by the IAEA allowed work on power lines critical for nuclear safety that had been damaged during the conflict. 

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“The IAEA remains actively engaged with both parties to ensure nuclear safety and security at the plant,” said Director General Grossi. “We are confident that the Russian Federation and Ukraine will continue to cooperate constructively with us to carry out these essential repairs and reduce the risk of an accident.”

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Over the past week, the IAEA team present at the ZNPP has also reported a significant increase in military activities in the areas surrounding the ZNPP, including some explosions heard close to the site. 

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Throughout Ukraine, IAEA teams present at the country’s operating nuclear power plants (NPPs) - Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine – and the Chornobyl NPP site have reported that military attacks on the country’s electrical infrastructure continue to impact nuclear safety at the plants. One NPP reduced its power output on 25 December when military activity caused one power line to be damaged and disconnected. 

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Due to persistent military activity on the country’s power infrastructure Director General Grossi announced that the IAEA is preparing another expert mission to Ukraine’s electrical substations. 

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“These substations are critical for nuclear safety and security as they supply electricity for reactor cooling and other essential safety systems. The IAEA has the expertise to assess the direct implications of the continued deterioration of Ukraine’s power grid on the safety of its nuclear power plants,” he added. 

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In the past weeks, two deliveries were completed as part of the IAEA’s comprehensive programme of assistance to Ukraine. The deliveries consisted of radiation portal monitors intended for the Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology and six water level meters for the South-Ukrainian subdivision of the State Enterprise "Ukrainian Geological Company" within the framework of the IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to the Kherson Oblast (ISAMKO) programme. The deliveries – which brought the total number of shipments to Ukraine to 196 since the start of the war - were made possible with funds from Japan and Sweden.

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Text Courtesy, IAEA