Euratom and 49 nations urge IAEA to force russians occupying Ukrianian nuclear plant to leave
49 states and European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or Euratom) appealed to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with the demand that russian troops and personnel leave the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) immediately.
"Risks at the Zaporizhia NPP will remain high as long as russian military and Rosatom personnel are at the station," Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Telegram. "russia must leave the ZNPP. Today, 49 states and Euroatom came to the Board of Directors of the IAEA with such a statement."
The Zaporizhia NPP, in the city of Enerhodar in Ukraine's southeast, is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and among the ten largest in the world. It has been under russian occupation since March 2022. The plant has reportedly controlled by the russian company Rosatom. It is still being operated by Ukrainian staff, under russian control, with reports of psychological and physical torture. russian forces have used the plant as a military base to shell neighboring areas over the Dnieper river, like the city of Nikopol.
The statement also called on russia to stop shelling Ukrainian energy facilities. They also noted the importance of Ukraine regaining control over all nuclear facilities within internationally recognized borders because only this will ensure their safety and secure operation.
International delegations also insist on holding russia accountable for its repeated disregard for nuclear safety principles.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant was completely de-energized due to a russian missile attack on Thursday, the night of March 9. This threatens an accident with radiation consequences for the whole world.
"On March 9, at 3:53 a.m., the last line of communication between the occupied Zaporizhia NPP and the Ukrainian power system was cut off due to rocket fire from the russian forces.
"Currently, the station is de-energized and has gone into blackout mode for the sixth time during the occupation," Energoatom, Ukraine's nuclear management company, emphasized, adding the 5th and 6th power units are being transferred to a cold state.
At this time, 18 diesel generators were switched on to power the ZNPP's needs. But there is fuel for their work only for ten days.
"If it is impossible to renew the external power supply of the station during this time, an accident with radiation consequences for the whole world may occur," Energoatom stressed, adding that all Ukrainian nuclear power plants have reduced power due to the threat of missile attacks.
Reference
On the night of March 9, the occupying forces launched a massive missile attack on the critical infrastructure of Ukraine. The Air Defense Forces destroyed 34 cruise missiles.
The following regions were struck: Kyiv, Kirovohrad region, Dnipropetrovsk region, Odesa region, Kharkiv region, Zaporizhzhia region, Lviv region, Ivano-Frankivsk region, Zhytomyr region, Vinnytsia region.
Objects of critical infrastructure and residential buildings were damaged, and people were injured and killed.
