IAEA: Russia should immediately withdraw military and other personnel from ZNPP

The General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) during its 68th session approved a resolution "Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards in Ukraine," co-authored by 52 member countries of the agency.

The Ukrainian Energy Ministry said this in a post on Telegram, Ukrinform reports.

The resolution reaffirms that Ukrainian nuclear power plants and installations, including Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), must operate safely and securely under full sovereign control of Ukraine. The IAEA called for the urgent withdrawal of all unauthorized military and other personnel from Ukraine's ZNPP and for the plant to be immediately returned to the full control of the competent Ukrainian authorities to ensure its safety and security.

The resolution welcomes with appreciation the continued efforts of IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi and the IAEA Secretariat to address nuclear safety and security risks in Ukraine and fully supports the continued on-site presence of the IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhia (ISAMZ). At the same time, the document calls upon Russia, until it returns Ukraine's ZNPP to the full control of the competent Ukrainian authorities, to provide ISAMZ with unrestricted and timely access to and from all relevant locations at and around the ZNPP and open information sharing.

In addition, the document fully supports the Agency's continued provision, upon request, of technical support and assistance to Ukraine to help ensure the safe and secure operation of nuclear facilities and activities involving radioactive sources, including the continued physical presence of IAEA technical experts at the Chornobyl, Rivne, Khmelnytskyi, and South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plants.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the IAEA for the adoption of the resolution regarding the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

"I am grateful to the IAEA General Conference for passing a resolution on the Zaporizhzhia NPP that reaffirms the need for Ukraine to regain full control of the plant and withdraw Russian troops and personnel from ZNPP," he wrote on X.

According to Zelensky, "Russia is the only terrorist regime in the world that has stolen a nuclear power plant, which is the largest NPP in Europe, turned it into a military base, and continues to use it for nuclear blackmail against our continent and the world."

"This is why nuclear safety is the first point on the Peace Formula. And this was one of the main topics on the first Peace Summit agenda. I am pleased to see that today's IAEA GC resolution furthers these important efforts," Zelensky said.

In his opinion, "only through collective determination and principled action will we be able to force the aggressor to stop its blackmail and terror. Every state that adheres to the UN Charter and common human principles must be interested in this for the sake of international peace and security."

ZNPP has been under Russian occupation since March 4, 2022.