At the meeting of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in March, 47 member states of the Agency issued a joint statement on nuclear safety, security, and safeguards in Ukraine.
In their statement, IAEA member states reaffirmed their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and condemned russia’s illegal seizure of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, as well as attacks on Ukraine’s nuclear infrastructure.
"Ukrainian nuclear facilities must operate safely and securely under Ukraine’s full sovereign control," the statement reads.
Key points of the statement include:
* Calling on russia to immediately cease military actions at, against, and near Ukrainian nuclear facilities and related infrastructure that pose a threat to nuclear and radiation safety.
* Noting that the occupation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP has led to the technical degradation of the plant and poses serious threats to safety and security in the wider region—it is critically important that all reactors at the Zaporizhzhia NPP remain in cold shutdown mode.
* Highlighting that Ukrainian nuclear facilities are being damaged due to russian attacks. In particular, a russian drone attack on a shelter at the Chornobyl NPP has endangered decades of international efforts aimed at the safe and reliable management of a nuclear site that was the location of one of the world’s most dangerous nuclear disasters.
* Condemning russia’s actions that hinder the IAEA’s work in Ukraine.
In accordance with previous resolutions of the IAEA Board of Governors and the General Conference, the countries called on russia to withdraw all unauthorized military and support personnel from the territory of the Zaporizhzhia NPP and return the plant to the full control of Ukraine’s competent regulatory authorities.
"Ukraine is grateful for the support of its partners in our fight against the crimes of the aggressor state, which pose a severe threat to nuclear safety in our country and the world. Russia’s punishment for these crimes must be fair and inevitable," stated the head of the Ukrainian delegation to the IAEA, Minister of Energy of Ukraine, German Galushchenko.
The full text of the statement can be found HERE.
