Backup power was restored on 6 January to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in Ukraine after repairs to the 330 kilovolt (kV) line, which was disconnected due to damage caused by shelling, were completed, an International Atomic Energy Agency team at the facility confirmed.

The repair work of this last functioning external back up line – delayed by shelling in recent days – ensures that offsite electricity for essential nuclear safety and security functions can still be provided if the station again loses connection to the 750 kV main external power line, the IAEA said.

The facility’s supplies of electricity from the grid continue to be fragile, IAEA director-general Rafael Mariano Grossi said.