Russian President Vladimir Putin informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that Moscow wants to restart operations at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine, which has been controlled by Russia since 2022, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing Russian officials familiar with the matter.
According to the report, Putin told IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi during their meeting in March that Russia definitely does plan to restart the plant but provided no timeline for such a move.
The plant completely stopped operating in September 2022 amid the war in Ukraine when its Ukrainian director Ihor Murashov ordered the last active reactor to shut down amid Russian attacks. The plant has recently come under attacks by Ukrainian forces, after which Grossi warned that "attacking a nuclear power plant is an absolute no-go."