The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Ukraine condemned the fact that IAEA observers violated Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity — they conducted a rotation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) through territories occupied by Russia.
This is reported by the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
They stated that Russia is deliberately creating obstacles to the work of international organizations in Ukraine, forcing them to violate Ukrainian legislation, bilateral agreements with Ukraine, and resolutions of the UN General Assembly.
"Russia effectively forced IAEA staff to stay at the station without rotation for 80 days, significantly exceeding the planned period, keeping people under unprecedented psychological pressure, in a zone of increased risk. Moscow effectively deprived international experts of freedom of movement and used them as a tool for political pressure on the international community," the statement said.
Ukraine offered a safe and legal rotation route, but Moscow refused to provide security guarantees for the IAEA unless they left through the occupied territories.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs regards the IAEAʼs actions not as a rotation of experts at the ZNPP, but as a humanitarian evacuation in conditions of threat to the lives and health of people who are employees of the Agency.
Ukraine sent a note of protest to the IAEA leadership, condemning the violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Ukrainian side will also raise the issue of unprecedented blackmail by the Russian Federation at a meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors in the coming days.
- The Russians occupied the ZNPP in early March 2022, and it has been operating under their control ever since. During this time, the ZNPP has experienced eight complete blackouts and one partial one.
- An IAEA mission has been stationed at the station since September 2022. Ukraine insists on the withdrawal of Russian occupiers from the station. President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasizes that as long as Russian soldiers are at the ZNPP, “the world remains on the brink of nuclear catastrophe”. Russia refuses to create a demilitarized zone at the ZNPP.
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