On the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the process of restoring external electricity supply has begun. This was reported by the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi.
According to the official, the process was launched after "frequent contacts" with Ukraine and Russia over the past weeks.
The IAEA Director General conducted negotiations with Kyiv and Moscow regarding specific proposals to ensure the plant receives external electricity necessary for cooling six shut-down reactors and spent fuel.
The IAEA noted that the main focus was on creating the required safety conditions to carry out repair work on the damaged power lines "Dniprovska" (750 kV) and "Ferrosplavna-1" (330 kV), which are located on both sides of the front line near the Zaporizhzhia NPP.
"Following intensive consultations, the process leading to the re-establishment of off-site power – through the Dniprovska and Ferosplavna-1 lines – has started," Grossi stated.
The official said that although restoring the connection to the ZNPP will take some time, Ukraine and Russia are "constructively cooperating" with the Agency on this.
Earlier, on October 8, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine had proposed simultaneous repair of power lines to restore electricity to the Zaporizhzhia NPP from both sides of the front.
- On September 23, the Ministry of Energy reported that the Zaporizhzhia NPP experienced its tenth blackout since the beginning of the occupation.
- The station switched to diesel generator power. This is the longest period the facility has operated in such a mode. The deputy energy minister noted that the generators and the station itself are not designed for such use.
- On October 7, IAEA staff recorded numerous shelling incidents in the immediate vicinity of the Zaporizhzhia NPP. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that these actions are a deliberate provocation by Russia.
