Ukraine Urges IAEA to Keep Russia Off Governing Board Amid New Russian Disinformation Campaign Over Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant

Ukraine has called on members of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors to oppose Russia’s return to the board and respond with concrete decisions following new Russian disinformation campaign accusing Ukraine of an attack Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).

According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 30, Russia’s allegations that a Ukrainian drone struck the turbine hall of Unit 6 at the Zaporizhzhia plant are part of a recurring disinformation campaign launched ahead of IAEA Board of Governors meetings.

The statement came after Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev claimed that a Ukrainian drone hit the turbine building of Unit 6 on May 30, causing minor structural damage. These claims could not be independently verified.

Ukraine’s Defense Forces rejected the accusation, stating that Ukrainian forces did not conduct any strike on the facility and operate in accordance with international humanitarian law.

In its statement, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said Russia has repeatedly restricted international inspectors’ access to parts of the plant while simultaneously asking the international community to accept Russian accounts of incidents at the site.

The ministry noted that IAEA experts have not been granted access to certain sections of turbine halls throughout the agency’s monitoring mission at the facility.

The ministry argued that similar allegations have appeared before previous IAEA Board of Governors sessions and are intended to shift attention away from Russia’s continued occupation of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.

Ukraine urged the board’s 34 member states to respond “not only in statements, but also in decisions,” including by withholding support for Russia’s reelection to the governing body during the upcoming June session.

Ukraine’s Southern Defense Forces also challenged the technical feasibility of the Russian version of events. In a statement, they said the ZNPP is located roughly 50 kilometers from the nearest section of the frontline and that Ukraine does not operate fiber-optic-controlled drones with the range described by Russian officials.

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The military further stated that Russian forces have established extensive protective measures around the facility and have not provided verifiable photographic or video evidence of the alleged strike.

Ukraine’s State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate said IAEA specialists stationed at the plant should independently verify the claims and report their findings. The agency added that no changes in radiation levels had been recorded around the facility and called on the occupying administration to grant inspectors full access to the turbine hall of Unit 6.

The latest dispute comes ahead of a June meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors, where members are expected to review the agency’s annual report for 2025. According to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry, IAEA documents have consistently recognized Zaporizhzhia as a Ukrainian nuclear facility under Russian occupation and have not acknowledged Russian claims over the site.

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Russia seized the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in March 2022. All six reactors remain in cold shutdown, a condition that requires continuous external power supplies to maintain cooling and safety systems. The plant has experienced multiple disruptions to external power lines during the war, forcing it to rely at times on backup diesel generators.

Earlier, Ukraine’s Southern Defense Forces reported that Russian troops were using the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to store military equipment and launch drones.

Reconnaissance footage showed Russian vehicles and drone launch positions near the reactors, while Moscow continued to use the facility for military purposes despite international calls for demilitarization.

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