Ukraine’s Minister of Energy Svitlana Grynchuk participated in the 69th session of the IAEA General Conference in Vienna, calling on the international community to take urgent measures to prevent further escalation of the situation at Ukrainian nuclear power plants due to Russia’s criminal actions.
“The Russian occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is an act of nuclear piracy that threatens not only Ukraine but the entire world. It is imperative to guarantee full access for IAEA experts to all zones of the plant and to establish an international control mechanism over the Zaporizhzhia NPP for its demilitarization and return under Ukraine’s sovereign control,” Minister Grynchuk emphasized.
She noted that Russia’s actions are incompatible with a culture of nuclear safety and security, disregard international norms and the IAEA Statute, undermine trust in the international safeguards system, and create ongoing risks for Ukraine, Europe, and the world. In this context, Ukraine opposed Russia’s inclusion in the IAEA Board of Governors.
The Minister reported that the Zaporizhzhia NPP currently operates under extraordinary risk conditions. The main water supply source for reactor cooling has been destroyed, and the plant has completely lost external power nine times. Due to continuous Russian shelling, only one of ten power lines remains operational, increasing the risk of a total blackout.
“Any attempts by Russia to introduce new, unknown control systems at the plant must be seen as using the Zaporizhzhia NPP as a military tool and as deliberate escalation of the nuclear safety threat,” Grynchuk stressed.
She added that since the beginning of this year, over 500 flights of Russian drones and missiles have been recorded within 30-kilometer observation zones around Ukrainian NPPs. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, deliberate attacks have caused total loss of external power at Ukrainian nuclear plants 13 times.
“The world cannot tolerate nuclear blackmail. We call on all IAEA member states to act in unity, provide a decisive and coordinated response, and reaffirm that peace, security, and international law must prevail without exception. Nuclear energy must never be turned into a weapon of war,” the Minister stated.
The Ministry of Energy expressed gratitude to the IAEA and its Director General Rafael Grossi for their continued presence at Ukrainian NPPs, support for safe operations, and deployment of monitoring missions at energy facilities.
