The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, confirmed that a backup 330 kV transmission line serving the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant was damaged and cut off from the network due to the December 29 bombardment. The IAEA posted the update on its website on Friday.
The agency noted that the backup line was severed late on the night of the attack and that the full extent of the damage remained unclear. A repair effort has begun to restore the line. Grossi emphasized ongoing consultations with Ukraine and Russia on harmonizing and accelerating the implementation of a plan to establish nuclear safety and protection zones around the Zaporizhzhya facility.
IAEA experts at the Zaporizhzhya plant reported hearing explosions on December 30 near the site. The agency described the blasts as occurring several hundred meters from the facility, in the water channel area linking the nearby Zaporizhzhya thermal power plant to the Dnieper River. At the same time, IAEA officials were informed that there had been no recorded bombardment at the site since November.
On December 23, the agency reiterated its plan to create a safety zone around the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, arguing that such a zone would reduce the risk of a nuclear accident. The effort aims to curb firing around Europe’s largest nuclear installation, which has seen intensified military activity in recent weeks despite relative quiet at the site itself. The IAEA has warned that the security situation around the plant remains a serious risk.
Grossi later spoken about renewed diplomatic efforts to establish a nuclear safety zone around the Zaporizhzhya plant, stating that progress was being made toward an agreement and its prompt implementation. He described the situation at the site as highly unstable and potentially dangerous, noting that the plant sits on an active front line and would greatly benefit from a protective zone around it.
Beyond Zaporizhzhya, the IAEA signaled readiness to deploy permanent nuclear safety experts to Ukrainian nuclear facilities and to the Chernobyl area. The agency indicated that a permanent mission could be stationed at the Chernobyl site, alongside personnel from Khmelnitsky, Rivne, and Southern Ukraine plants, following a recent agreement with Ukrainian officials. The intention is to assist facility staff in sustaining a high level of nuclear safety across the Ukrainian network.
Zaporizhzhya NPP is located in Energodar and operates with a capacity of about 6 gigawatts, making it Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. After being brought under control by Russian forces earlier in the conflict, the plant remains a focal point of safety discussions. The IAEA has repeatedly called for the creation of a security zone around the facility. In September, the IAEA Board of Governors urged Russia to withdraw its forces from the plant’s vicinity. A subsequent resolution, adopted on November 17, urged Russia to relinquish unfounded claims regarding ownership of the facility, underscoring the international focus on the plant’s safety and control. [attribution: IAEA and related governance sources]