A number of countries supported the IAEA resolution on nuclear safety in Ukraine
At the 70th session of the IAEA General Conference, 63 countries supported a resolution on nuclear safety, security, and safeguards in Ukraine. The document, in particular, calls for the withdrawal of unauthorized Russian military and other personnel from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and the restoration of Ukraine’s full sovereign control over the plant.
According to Sibiga, the adopted document reaffirms the need to comply with international law and ensure nuclear safety and security in Ukraine.
The resolution specifically emphasizes the need to withdraw unauthorized Russian military and other personnel from the Zaporizhzhia NPP. The document also calls for the plant to be returned to Ukraine’s full sovereign control.
The IAEA has repeatedly called for the withdrawal of unauthorized military personnel from the Zaporizhzhia NPP and the return of the plant to the control of the competent Ukrainian authorities.
Andriy Sibiga also reported that 49 countries and the European Union supported a joint statement calling for the immediate release of detained Ukrainian employees of the Zaporizhzhia NPP.
According to the minister, among them are Serhiy Korzh, Serhiy Poting, and Ruslan Lavryk. Sybiga stated that they have been tortured, have serious health problems, and require medical assistance. Serhiy Korzh, according to the foreign minister, has been held captive since 2022.
Sibiga emphasized that these specialists possess the expertise necessary for the safe operation of the nuclear power plant.
“They must not be used as bargaining chips in Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Sibiga said.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant remains under Russian control, and the IAEA continues to monitor the situation at the plant. The agency emphasizes the need to maintain nuclear safety and continue the work of its missions at Ukrainian nuclear facilities.
Andriy Sibiga previously stated that Russia’s ongoing occupation and militarization of the Zaporizhzhia NPP remain a fundamental source of risks to nuclear safety and security.
According to Sibiga, the occupation and militarization of the Zaporizhzhia NPP, as well as the detention of its employees, pose risks to nuclear safety that extend beyond Ukraine’s borders.
“Such disregard for nuclear safety cannot go unpunished. Russia must be held accountable for the risks it deliberately creates,” the Ukrainian foreign minister emphasized.
The IAEA continues to operate in Ukraine and maintain a constant presence of its experts at nuclear facilities, including the Zaporizhzhia NPP, to mitigate the risk of a nuclear accident and provide independent information on the situation.
This was reported by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant remains in a precarious security situation. According to Ukrainian intelligence, the plant is not generating electricity, is experiencing problems with external power supply, and the water level in the cooling pond continues to drop.
A local ceasefire has taken effect at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine to allow for repairs to restore the external power supply. The agreements, brokered by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), took effect on September 5.
Alexey Likhachev, Director General of the Russian state corporation Rosatom, and Rafael Grossi, Director General of the IAEA, discussed the safety of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Vienna, Austria.
