Ukraine nuclear plant back on grid after almost three weeks: IAEA

The Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine has been reconnected to the grid after almost three weeks of relying on emergency diesel reserves, which were diminishing, the UN nuclear watchdog said.

The plant, which needs power to keep its six non-operating reactors cool, has repeatedly suffered power cuts since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

In the latest, a ceasefire brokered between Russia and Ukraine by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) enabled repairs on the sole remaining power line supplying the plant, the agency said in a post late Monday.

The restoration of off-site power was a "much-needed development" as the plant was facing "a possible station blackout, with diminishing diesel fuel reserves available to operate emergency generators", the IAEA said.

The line was lost "due to military activity" north of the Dnipro river on August 20, according to the IAEA.

The plant, in southern Ukraine, was seized by the Russian army in March 2022, just weeks after its full-scale invasion.

Both sides in the conflict regularly accuse each other of attacking the site on the banks of the Dnipro river.

The IAEA has repeatedly called for restraint, citing nuclear safety and security concerns.

IAEA teams have had a permanent presence at the plant since September 2022. Zaporizhzhia's six reactors have been shut down since 2022.