Ukraine and Russia Agree to Temporary Ceasefire Near Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant — For What Purpose

Ukraine and Russia, through mediation by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), have agreed to a temporary ceasefire in the area of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).

The IAEA press service reported the agreement.

Following its entry into force, repair work began on one of the plant’s critical power transmission lines.

The restoration is being monitored continuously by the IAEA team and, according to preliminary assessments, may take several days.

This is not the first instance of a localized ceasefire aimed at repairing energy infrastructure required for the safe operation of the plant.

Similar arrangements were reached in mid-October and again in early November, when power engineers restored two backup power lines, Ferosplavna-1 and Dniprovska.

Restoring backup power supply outside the site is critical for nuclear safety, as it ensures the operation of reactor cooling systems and spent nuclear fuel storage facilities.

When external power is lost, these systems must rely on emergency diesel generators, significantly increasing the risk of disruptions to cooling.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant lost its grid connection on September 23, marking the tenth blackout since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion and the longest to date.

During that outage, seven emergency diesel generators were operating simultaneously at the site.

Russian invasion forces continue to use the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant as a deployment site, posing risks to staff and nuclear safety in the region.

As Militarnyi reported on November 7, armored vehicles and infantry units have been positioned inside plant buildings.

Published images show weapons racks, an armed Russian soldier carrying a Pecheneg machine gun, and prepared firing positions.

Restricted Access to the ZNPP

In September, the IAEA reported that Russian forces were restricting the mission’s access to certain areas of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

Agency inspectors were denied entry to diesel fuel storage facilities, preventing verification of available fuel reserves.

The plant continues to be staffed by Ukrainian personnel working under pressure from occupation authorities, who have sought to compel workers to obtain Russian passports and sign contracts with Rosatom.