\n The UN\u2019s nuclear watchdog has said work is underway to restore power to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant (ZNPP) following the establishment of rare \u201cceasefire zones.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n The plant has been without power from the electricity network for four weeks, the longest blackout since the war began.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cWork has begun to repair damaged off-site power lines to ZNPP (Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant) after 4-week outage, following establishment of local ceasefire zones to allow work to proceed,\u201d International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director Rafael Grossi said in a social media post on Saturday.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cRestoration of off-site power is crucial for nuclear safety and security. Both sides engaged constructively with the IAEA to enable complex repair plan to proceed,\u201d he added.\n <\/p>\n
\n Apart from the regular exchanges of prisoners, the fighting in Ukraine has rarely eased in the three-year conflict.\n <\/p>\n
\n Neither side confirmed the local truce, but Ukraine\u2019s energy ministry said Ukrainian specialists were working to restore the power lines on Saturday, the 42nd round of repair works since Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cThe only reason for the unprecedented risks and threat of a radiation incident in Europe is Russian military aggression, the occupation of the Ukrainian Zaporizhzhya NPP and the systematic shelling of Ukraine\u2019s energy infrastructure,\u201d the ministry said in a Telegram post.\n <\/p>\n
\n The Russian-controlled power plant said in a post on Telegram that staff were carrying out restoration works, adding the Russian defense ministry was playing a \u201ckey role\u201d in ensuring that the \u201cwork can be carried out in an area under active shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cWithout the security guarantees provided by the military, the work of the power engineers would be impossible,\u201d the post said.\n <\/p>\n