The Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant was reconnected to external power June 13 after repairs to a damaged backup transmission line were completed under a localized ceasefire brokered by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the agency said on X.
The plant lost connection to its 330-kilovolt Ferosplavna backup power line late June 11 due to military-related damage, forcing operators to rely on emergency diesel generators to provide electricity needed to cool the site’s six shut-down reactors. The outage marked the plant’s 19th loss of off-site power since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022.
The nearly three-day outage was one of the longest such events at the facility, the statement said. An IAEA team stationed at the plant monitored repair activities near the facility.
The agency said it is also observing repairs at the nearby Zaporizhzhya Thermal Power Plant switchyard and de-mining operations intended to enable repairs to the ZNPP’s 750-kilovolt Dniprovska main power line, which has been disconnected since March.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said restoration of both transmission lines and completion of switchyard repairs are necessary to secure reliable off-site power and help prevent a nuclear accident.
He also expressed concern over increased military activity around the plant in recent weeks, warning that continued fighting near nuclear facilities threatens key nuclear safety principles.
“The IAEA remains committed to doing everything it can to ensure nuclear safety and security during the conflict,” Grossi said.