IAEA Reportedly Funded Russian Scientific Research in Occupied Crimea

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has funded Russian state scientific research in occupied Crimea since the peninsula's illegal annexation in 2014, according to documents obtained by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) on October 21.

Internal IAEA documents reveal that the agency signed at least two agreements with Russian research institutes for projects involving fieldwork in Crimea between 2016 and 2019, with the first agreement reportedly extended in the summer of 2019. RFE/RL described these projects as limited in scope and scale.

In a statement to RFE/RL, the IAEA reaffirmed its recognition of Crimea as part of Ukraine, stating that its research in the occupied area is of a "purely technical nature" and does not alter its position on Crimea's status. The agency also clarified that the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR), involved in one of the projects, is “not a Russian organization but an International Intergovernmental Scientific Research Organization located in Russia.”

Ukraine's permanent diplomatic mission in Vienna, home to the IAEA, told RFE/RL that none of the agency's research initiatives in Crimea have received approval from the Ukrainian government.

Rafael Grossi, the IAEA director, has visited both Kyiv and Moscow since the onset of full-scale invasion, as well as the Russian-occupied territories of the Zaporizhzhia region. Monitoring teams from the IAEA have been stationed at the facility on a rotational basis since September 2022, but Russian authorities continue to deny IAEA inspectors full access to the plant.

The IAEA has stated its commitment to Ukraine's territorial integrity, urging Russia to withdraw from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest nuclear facility in Europe, which has been under Russian control since March 2022.

Ukrainian authorities have recently reported that Russia is preparing strikes on critical nuclear energy infrastructure in Ukraine ahead of the winter season citing intelligence reports and warning of the severe risks associated with these actions.