Vienna, June 6 (IANS) The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) called for maximum military restraint and full adherence to the localised ceasefire, after Russian personnel were reportedly injured near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP).
The IAEA on Friday (local time) said it has been informed that some Russian military personnel were injured during Friday’s de-mining phase of the agreed localised ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
Earlier on Friday, the IAEA announced the start of a localised ceasefire it brokered on the front line near the Zaporizhzhia NPP, enabling repairs to the plant’s crucial power line, reports Xinhua news agency.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said the restoration of the off-site power line would be an important and positive step for nuclear safety, which is in everybody’s vital interest.
Grossi once again underscored the urgency and necessity of repairing the plant’s main 750 kilovolt power line, which has been disconnected for more than two months. The Zaporizhzhia NPP had to rely on emergency diesel generators for the electricity it needed to cool its six shutdown reactors in the event of a power outage during military conflicts.
The Zaporizhzhia plant, one of Europe’s largest nuclear power facilities, has been under Russian control since March 2022.
Alexey Likhachev, director general of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom, reported Ukrainian drone strikes on the Zaporizhzhia NPP on Friday afternoon. “Three of our engineers were injured, two of them are in serious condition,” Likhachev was quoted as saying by Russian news agency Interfax.
According to the IAEA, the incident is currently being investigated, and the Ukrainian side said it remains committed to the ceasefire.
Meanwhile, repair work has begun on a key external power line serving the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the plant’s operator said Friday.
Specialists are restoring the 750-kilovolt Dniprovska transmission line, which has been disconnected since March 24. The operator said the work was made possible by a ceasefire aimed at protecting personnel working on energy infrastructure.
The Dniprovska line is a critical part of the plant’s external power supply system. Its restoration is expected to improve power reliability and enhance nuclear and radiation safety.
–IANS
sd/