Russia may declare a temporary ceasefire as soon as Oct. 17 to fix damaged power lines at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), the largest nuclear facility in Europe, Sky News reported.
Alexei Likhachev, head of the Russian state corporation Rosatom, said the planned “quiet period” would allow repairs on two power lines that supply electricity to the occupied plant – one in Russian-held territory, the other in Ukrainian-held territory.
“This is a very difficult decision that requires a fair balance,” he said. “It’s very tentative, very preliminary, and it’s possible that such a decision will be implemented as early as tomorrow.”
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has proposed a two-step plan to restore power. The first step would create a 1.5-kilometer ceasefire zone to repair a major power line on the Russian side. The second step would allow crews to fix a backup line that runs through Ukrainian-controlled land.
Kyiv has already offered security guarantees for their repair teams, but Moscow has not, according to the IAEA.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi is in talks on both sides to restore electricity and “help prevent a nuclear accident”.
Meanwhile, Greenpeace Ukraine accused the IAEA and Grossi of echoing Kremlin disinformation, saying Russia is deliberately damaging the power plant’s power grid and refusing to make basic repairs.
The environmental group warned that the crisis will continue as long as Russian forces occupy the site.
The plant has been running on emergency diesel generators for 25 days, after invading Russian forces cut the last external power line on Sept. 23.
Russia has controlled the plant since March 2022, and it has repeatedly lost connection to Ukraine’s power grid because of shelling.
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