MELITOPOL, October 1. /TASS/. The Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has informed International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts stationed at the facility that its specialists are ready to begin repairs on the last external power line damaged on September 23 but cannot proceed due to ongoing shelling by Ukrainian forces, ZNPP communications director Yevgeniya Yashina told TASS.
"Yes, we have notified the IAEA that we are ready to begin repairs, but due to the shelling, we are unable to start. [Rosatom head Alexey Likhachev] and [IAEA Director-General Rafael] Grossi discussed the current situation too. We also regularly update the IAEA on the developments," Yashina said.
She stressed that plant specialists are prepared to "make every effort to carry out repair and restoration work as soon as possible, once the situation allows."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said Russia is reliably ensuring the safety of the ZNPP and remains in constant contact with the IAEA regarding developments at the site.
Earlier, Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev told an IAEA conference in Vienna that the only real threat to the ZNPP and its personnel comes from the reckless actions of Ukrainian forces. On September 29, IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi reported that he had discussed the situation with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga.
On September 23, Ukrainian shelling damaged the last external power line supplying the ZNPP, forcing the plant to switch to diesel generators. This marked the tenth such incident since the outbreak of the conflict. Repair work on the line remains impossible due to continued shelling, but the cooling of nuclear fuel in storage pools and reactors is being maintained in full. The situation is under control, with sufficient diesel reserves to ensure long-term autonomous operation of the generators.