On Friday, a local ceasefire was implemented around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, following mediation by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The ceasefire aims to facilitate the restoration of reserve power lines deemed essential for cooling the nuclear materials, thus preventing potential accidents. Demining operations are currently underway to ensure safe access for repair teams, with the plant being under Russian control since shortly after the onset of the invasion in February 2022.

The leadership of the power plant, which is the largest nuclear power facility in Europe, confirmed the ceasefire and noted that repairs would take a minimum of one week to complete. Since the beginning of the war, the plant has been non-operational in terms of electricity production, yet it critically requires external energy supplies to maintain cooling measures and avert nuclear accidents, emphasizing the delicate nature of the situation in the region.

In parallel developments, the Kremlin acknowledged new trilateral negotiations are being planned following separate discussions between Ukrainian and Russian representatives with U.S. envoys in Geneva. Ukraine has also announced potential meetings aimed at addressing ongoing tensions in early March in Abu Dhabi, signaling the complex diplomatic efforts underway to stabilize the conditions surrounding the Zaporizhzhia power plant and broader hostilities in the region.