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48 Nations Demand Russia Withdraw from Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant in IAEA Joint Statement

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Dariia Mykhailenko
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48 Nations Demand Russia Withdraw from Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant in IAEA Joint Statement
Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is under Russian control since the first days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in Nikopol, Ukraine on July 7, 2023. (Source: Getty Images)

Any attempts to restart the reactors at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) are only possible after the facility is returned to Ukraine’s control, 48 International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) member states emphasized in a joint statement on June 12.

“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,” the statement reads.

The countries stressed that all reactors at the facility must remain in cold shutdown mode, citing ongoing security risks and the inability to ensure safe operation under current conditions.

“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 signatories added.

The IAEA warned that any unilateral attempt by Russia to restart the plant would violate multiple international resolutions—including those of the IAEA Board of Governors, the IAEA General Conference, and the UN General Assembly—and would be “wholly unacceptable.”

They also firmly rejected any short-term restart of the reactors, calling it a direct breach of established nuclear safety principles.

Earlier, Russian occupation forces were hindering the work of the IAEA mission at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine’s nuclear regulator has reported.

During a meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors in Vienna Oleh Korikov, Head of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine SNRIU, stated that the IAEA team is being denied full access to key systems and equipment at the facility, which remains under Russian control.

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