Eight-day blackout: EU calls on Russia to immediately withdraw all its forces from Zaporizhzhia NPP and all of Ukraine
Kyiv • UNN
The European Union has called on Russia to immediately withdraw all forces and military equipment from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and all of Ukraine, returning control of the plant to Ukrainian authorities. This comes after the Zaporizhzhia NPP lost connection to an external power source for the tenth time, marking the longest and most serious outage.
The European Union has called on Russia to immediately withdraw all its forces, military equipment, and other unauthorized personnel from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and, indeed, from all of Ukraine, and to return control of the plant to Ukrainian authorities. This was stated in a statement by the spokesperson for the EU's external diplomatic service, as reported by UNN.
Details
Last week, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) once again lost connection to its last external power source. This is the 10th such incident since the beginning of Russia's war against Ukraine. This is the longest and most serious outage, particularly because military activity continues to hinder repairs and reconnection of power lines. We call on Russia to immediately cease all military operations around the nuclear plant to ensure the urgent restoration of power lines.
The EU noted that the nuclear power plant is currently relying solely on emergency diesel generators to provide the electricity needed to cool the six shut-down reactors and perform other critical nuclear safety functions. A prolonged power outage could eventually jeopardize the operation of safety systems.
The EU fully supports the IAEA's efforts to facilitate the repair of power lines in accordance with the seven indispensable pillars of nuclear safety and security identified by the IAEA Director General. This includes adherence to Pillar 4, which states that "a secure off-site power supply from the grid for all nuclear facilities must be ensured." The seven indispensable pillars, as well as the five specific principles for protecting the ZNPP, must be fully respected. This is essential for further strengthening nuclear safety and security worldwide.
It is emphasized that Russia's attempts to illegally seize the Ukrainian ZNPP have no basis under international law.
Russia must immediately, unconditionally, and completely withdraw all its forces, military equipment, and other unauthorized personnel from the ZNPP and the entire territory of Ukraine. The return of the ZNPP to the full control of the competent and legitimate authorities of Ukraine is the only long-term solution to minimize the risk of a nuclear accident with global consequences.
Addition
On September 23, as a result of another provocation by Russian military personnel, the power line supplying the ZNPP from the Ukrainian energy system was damaged.
Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha stated that Russia wants to connect the Zaporizhzhia NPP to its own energy system despite the risks of a nuclear incident. The Russians have already built a 200 km line from Melitopol to Mariupol.
Oleh Korikov, Head of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate – Chief State Inspector for Nuclear and Radiation Safety of Ukraine, emphasized that if the occupiers do not create appropriate conditions for restoring the ZNPP's connection to the Ukrainian energy system in the near future, and if diesel fuel at the industrial site runs out, an emergency situation with radiological consequences not only for Ukraine but also for European countries is quite likely.
On Thursday, September 25, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi met in Moscow with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.