In a development facilitated by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a localized ceasefire to conduct necessary repairs on the backup power lines of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear facility.

The IAEA announced in a brief statement on Friday that this truce in southern Ukraine aims to restore the 330-kilovolt power line crucial for Europe’s largest nuclear plant’s operation.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi shared via social media that ongoing demining efforts are crucial to securing safe access for repair crews.

This temporary ceasefire, brokered with the assistance of the IAEA, coincides with the fourth anniversary of Russia’s comprehensive military invasion of Ukraine.

Russian forces have controlled the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant since the first few weeks of the invasion.

Situated in the southeast of the country, the plant is Ukraine’s largest and houses six of its 15 operational nuclear power reactors. It has recently been reliant on external power to sustain all essential nuclear safety functions.

Both sides have accused each other of raising the risk of a catastrophic accident by staging attacks near to the plant.

Russian nuclear power company Rosatom said Friday that IAEA specialists located at the power plant were monitoring repairs to the disconnected power line, according to state news outlet RIA Novosti.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry had not responded to CNBC’s request for comment as this article went live.

Earlier this month, the IAEA warned the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant was operating on its last remaining power line, reportedly as a result of military activity near the switchyard operated by the Zaporizhzhia thermal power plant.

Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War think tank said Tuesday that the fifth year of Russia’s war hadn’t started well for President Vladimir Putin, noting Ukrainian forces have recently made the most significant gains on the battlefield since the country’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast in August 2024.