IAEA in talks with Russia and Ukraine to restore power at Zaporizhzhya NPP

The director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, said he is in talks with both Russia and Ukraine about proposals to restore an external power supply to the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant (ZNPP), the agency reported on its website.

For the past ten days, the plant has been running on emergency diesel generators.

“Both sides say that they are ready to carry out the necessary repairs on their side of the front line. But to do so, the safety situation must be improved so that technicians can do their vital work without jeopardising their lives,” Grossi said.

He added that he is maintaining continuous contact with Russian and Ukrainian officials “to achieve this important goal as soon as possible.”

Grossi described the situation as “unprecedented” and urged it be resolved without “further delay,” stressing: “This is a nuclear safety issue and its resolution is in the common interest.”

The power loss followed separate incidents this year: in May, the 330 kV Ferrosplavnaya-1 backup line was damaged, and in September, the remaining 750 kV Dniprovskaya line was put out of service after battle damage, leaving ZNPP without external electricity. Grossi earlier warned that “neither side would benefit from a nuclear accident.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the plant has been left without a stable power supply and accused Russia of blocking repair efforts. Russia’s presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected that claim, saying Moscow is ensuring safety at the ZNPP and is in constant contact with the IAEA.

At a Valdai Club meeting, President Vladimir Putin issued a warning about possible reciprocal action, saying: "On the other side, people should also understand, if they play with it like this dangerously, they still have a working nuclear power plant on their side. And what prevents us from responding in a mirror-like manner? Let them think about it," Putin said.

By Tamilla Hasanova