The IAEA Board of Governors convened an emergency meeting regarding nuclear safety risks caused by systematic Russian attacks on energy infrastructure in Ukraine, where the head of the organization, Rafael Grossi, confirmed that such attacks fall under the IAEA's mandate and pose direct nuclear risks, as reported by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha on X on Friday, writes UNN.
Today in Vienna, the IAEA Board of Governors held an extraordinary meeting on nuclear safety risks caused by Russia's systematic attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Rafael Grossi clearly confirmed that such attacks fall under the IAEA's mandate and pose direct nuclear risks.
The head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry emphasized: "Russia will not escape responsibility." "Ukraine will continue to build a systematic legal and political response, including initiating amendments to the IAEA Statute to limit the rights of the aggressor state."
Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal, following the extraordinary meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors, in turn, reported:
Ukraine called for the suspension of Russia's membership in the IAEA Board of Governors. It also initiated amendments to the IAEA Statute regarding the limitation of the aggressor state's rights.
"Russia systematically and purposefully attacked electrical substations that provide external power supply to Ukrainian nuclear power plants. This is an undermining of one of the seven pillars of nuclear safety identified by the IAEA. I am grateful to Rafael Grossi and our partners who today strongly condemned such actions and agreed to support Ukraine's energy and nuclear security," Shmyhal stated on Telegram.
Separately, according to him, "attention was focused on the situation with the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP, which has completely lost external power supply 12 times since the beginning of the full-scale invasion."
"We called on member states to impose comprehensive sanctions against Rosatom and limit cooperation with this company in all possible areas. We raised the issue of suspending Russia's membership in the IAEA Board of Governors, and also discussed the intention to initiate amendments to the IAEA Statute to limit the rights of the aggressor state. It is time to introduce real accountability for acts of aggression that undermine nuclear safety," Shmyhal explained in more detail.
He emphasized that a state that deliberately undermines nuclear safety cannot fully participate in the Agency's main political body.
Sybiha expressed gratitude to the Netherlands, Canada, Lithuania, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, Romania, Portugal, France, Great Britain, and Japan for their support of Ukraine and for making this meeting possible.