IAEA Director General Grossi said on Sept 5 that, after agency-mediated talks, a
local temporary ceasefire was implemented around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
to enable repairs to damaged transmission lines and restore external power. The
plant lost its last external connection on Aug 20 due to military activity and
has since relied on emergency diesel generators to provide cooling power for six
reactors and spent fuel pools. The IAEA warned diesel reserves are running low
and said that if external grid power is not restored or additional fuel cannot
be delivered, the plant risks a full-station blackout within days. Under the
ceasefire, Ukrainian technicians will de-mine affected areas before beginning
repairs; IAEA staff will monitor the work. Grossi said this is the seventh
similar temporary ceasefire he has negotiated since the Russia-Ukraine conflict
to reduce nuclear safety risks.
