IAEA brokers Ukraine ceasefire to allow nuclear plant repairs

Concerns over the safety of the Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe’s largest, have been rife throughout Ukraine" class="entity-link entity-event" data-entity-id="140865" data-entity-type="event">Russia’s war on Ukraine.The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it has brokered a “localised ceasefire” in Ukraine" class="entity-link entity-event" data-entity-id="140865" data-entity-type="event">Russia’s war on Ukraine around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to allow vital repairs.The United Nations’ nuclear agency reported that the ceasefire had taken effect on Friday morning. The safety and security of the Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, has been a chief concern amid Ukraine" class="entity-link entity-event" data-entity-id="140865" data-entity-type="event">Russia’s war on Ukraine, which has now run for more than four years.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Russia slams US for not granting visa to diplomat for UN meetinglist 2 of 4Russia to task bankers with shooting down Ukrainian droneslist 3 of 4NATO states slam Russia after drone crashes in Romanialist 4 of 4Russian rate of losses in Ukraine almost triples in one yearend of listThe front line in the war runs across the eastern Zaporizhia region, leaving it plagued by intense ground fighting, drone bombardment, and artillery exchanges. With concerns remaining high about the possibility of a nuclear accident, the IAEA said technicians from both sides will in the coming days start repairing “war-related damage”.It is the sixth temporary ceasefire negotiated by Rafael Grossi, director general of the IAEA, since the war began in 2022.He said Moscow and Kyiv agreed to pause the fighting to allow repairs to the Dniprovska power line for “the sake of nuclear safety”.The plant was disconnected from the line more than two months ago, leaving it reliant on a single line to supply the electricity needed to cool its six ⁠shutdown reactors. In recent weeks, the plant has repeatedly lost access to that line, forcing the use of emergency diesel generators.The violence continued right up to the start of the temporary local ceasefire. An overnight drone attack in the Zaporizhia region killed a woman and wounded 16 other people, emergency services said.