EU says Russia threatens nuclear safety and IAEA work
Photo: The EU claims that Russia threatens nuclear safety and IAEA work (Getty Images)
The European Union believes that Russia’s actions in Ukraine pose a serious threat to nuclear safety and to the monitoring work of IAEA missions, according to the IAEA Board of Governors on nuclear safety.
"The EU and its Member States remain deeply concerned over the nuclear safety and security risks caused by Russia’s illegal war of aggression, its seizure of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and the intense military activities in the vicinity of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants," the statement says.
The EU stressed that Russia "seriously endangers nuclear safety and the IAEA’s rotations and monitoring work."
It noted that the EU continues to support key IAEA missions in Ukraine and underlined the importance of upholding the seven indispensable pillars outlined by the agency’s Director General to ensure nuclear safety during armed conflict.
"We call on the Secretariat to provide an update on its work on reviewing challenges related to nuclear safety and security in armed conflicts," the delegation stated.
They recalled that such reporting was required under a resolution on nuclear safety adopted by the IAEA General Conference last year.
The EU delegation added that the issue of nuclear safety in Ukraine will be examined in greater detail.
The statement was joined by Ukraine, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, and Moldova.
Situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
Russian forces seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in March 2022. Since then, the largest nuclear power facility in Ukraine and Europe has remained under occupation.
Russia has turned the plant and surrounding area into a military base, deploying equipment and personnel there. This creates a risk of provocations and increases the danger of a nuclear incident.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly raised alarms about the critical situation and the need to ensure the safety of staff and nuclear materials.
On August 31, it became known that IAEA experts were unable to access a newly constructed dam on the channel of one of the Zaporizhzhia plant’s cooling ponds. Russian forces have been blocking their entry.
