Ukraine condemns IAEA team change at ZNPP over occupied territories
Photo: Ukraine condemned the change of the IAEA team at the ZNPP due to the occupied territories (Getty Images)
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns IAEA decision to withdraw staff from ZNPP through occupied territories, calling it not a rotation, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns IAEA staff withdrawal from Zaporizhzhia NPP through occupied territories due to Russian pressure.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Ukraine has condemned the IAEA's decision to withdraw staff from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) via Russia and occupied Ukrainian territories, calling it not a rotation. The ministry emphasized that this action violated Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, under the coercion of Russian threats and ongoing efforts to impose illegal and contradictory operational mechanisms in occupied areas.
"Russia deliberately creates artificial obstacles for international organizations operating in Ukraine, forcing them to violate Ukrainian law, bilateral agreements with Ukraine, and to disregard UN General Assembly resolutions," stated the MFA.
The MFA stressed that the situation at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP serves as a prime example of Russian blackmail. "Russia effectively forced IAEA staff to stay at the plant without rotation for 80 days, significantly beyond the planned duration, keeping them under unprecedented psychological pressure in a high-risk zone. Moscow effectively deprived international experts of freedom of movement and used them as a tool for political pressure on the international community," the ministry said.
The Ministry reiterated that Ukraine had repeatedly proposed a safe and legal route for staff rotation via Ukrainian-controlled territories, but Moscow persistently refused to guarantee safety along these routes.
"The Kremlin deliberately blocked the safe exit of experts through Ukrainian-controlled territories, forcing the Agency to accept Russian conditions. We do not view the IAEA’s actions as a rotation of experts at the ZNPP but rather as a humanitarian evacuation due to the threat to the lives and health of the Agency's staff," the MFA stressed.
Ukraine has sent a protest note to the IAEA leadership, condemning the violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity and warning against any repetition of such actions in the future.
"The Ukrainian side will also raise the issue of Russia’s unprecedented blackmail at the upcoming IAEA Board of Governors meeting," the statement concluded.
What the IAEA and Russia say
Currently, no comments have been made by the IAEA regarding this decision.
Meanwhile, Russia has claimed that a "rotation of IAEA observers" took place at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, stating it was the first rotation through Russian-controlled territories. According to the occupiers, a new team of three inspectors has allegedly entered the plant to monitor and assess its safety.
It is impossible to confirm or deny this information due to the lack of any response from the IAEA.
Situation at ZNPP
Russia occupied the Zaporizhzhia NPP and the city of Enerhodar, where it is located, in February 2022. Since then, the occupiers have disregarded the safety rules for operating the nuclear facility, putting it at risk of potential accidents. They store both equipment and personnel at the site.
Radio Free Europe’s correspondent, Rikard Jozwiak, reported that the IAEA might have conducted the first-ever staff rotation at ZNPP through occupied Ukrainian territories, possibly via Russia and Crimea.
