Russian authorities have announced the establishment of a temporary ceasefire near the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, as reported by Reuters. This ceasefire is intended to enable the repair of the external power lines that supply electricity to the plant, which is crucial for the cooling systems of the reactors. The ceasefire was reportedly brokered with assistance from Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and it is claimed that one of the plant's external power lines remains operational.

The repair work is expected to take at least a week, during which the radiation levels at the site have been reported as normal. However, the situation remains precarious, with ongoing hostilities between Ukraine and Russia in the surrounding areas. So far, there has been no official comment from Ukraine or the IAEA regarding the ceasefire or the state of operations at the plant. The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, was seized by Russian forces at the onset of the invasion, and currently, all reactors are in a state of shutdown, necessitating external power to maintain safe cooling operations.

This development underscores the continuous risks associated with the military conflict in proximity to nuclear infrastructure, as both Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of shelling the area surrounding the plant. The fragile nature of security around the Zaporizhia plant raises ongoing international concerns regarding the implications of a possible nuclear incident amidst ongoing combat operations between the two nations.