A joint statement by 48 IAEA member states was read out at a meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors, declaring that any restart of the reactors at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) can only take place once the facility is returned to Ukraine’s control.
This is according to the Ukrainian Energy Ministry, Ukrinform reports.
“Russia’s continued control of Ukraine’s ZNPP, including the presence of armed troops and military equipment, as reported by the Agency, compromises the DG’s ‘seven indispensable pillars for nuclear safety and security in an armed conflict’ and puts the implementation of the five concrete principles for protecting ZNPP at risk. It has led to the plant’s ongoing technical degradation and continues to present serious nuclear safety and security risks to the broader region,” the ministry’s press service said, citing the statement.
The statement underscores the critical importance of keeping all ZNPP reactors in cold shutdown mode. Member states firmly reject any attempts to consider the short-term restart of reactors at ZNPP, which would be inconsistent with well-established nuclear safety principles and with the Agency’s understanding.
The document stresses that any restart of the reactors at ZNPP can only take place once the facility has been returned to the legitimate control and oversight of Ukraine’s competent regulatory authority.
Any reactor restart must be preceded by thorough demining operations, rigorous repair of all reactors and auxiliary systems, and comprehensive safety inspections leading to an explicit certification from Ukraine’s nuclear regulatory body.
The statement also calls on all IAEA member states to offer continued political, financial, technical, and in-kind support to the IAEA comprehensive program of technical support and assistance to Ukraine.
As previously reported, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stated that none of the reactors at ZNPP could be restarted under the current unstable nuclear safety conditions caused by the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war.
On May 27, Greenpeace reported that the Russian occupation administration had begun constructing a new high-voltage transmission line across the temporarily occupied territories of the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions. This line, running along the northern coast of the Sea of Azov, is designed to directly connect the occupied ZNPP to the Russian power grid and could be used to facilitate its unauthorized restart.
Photo credit: Ukrainian Energy Ministry
Source: Restart of ZNPP reactors possible only after return to Ukrainian control – IAEA
