The authorities of the European Union and 42 countries have called upon Russia asking it to withdraw its troops from the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, reads their joint statement.
In the statement, the countries declare that Russia controlling the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant threatens adherence to the principles of nuclear safety of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). “Deployment of Russian military personnel and weaponry at the nuclear facility is unacceptable and disregards the safety, security, and safeguards principles that all members of the IAEA have committed to respect,” the authors note.
Russia controlling the power plant “prevents the operator and the Ukrainian authorities from fulfilling their nuclear and radiation safety obligations”.
“We urge the Russian Federation to immediately withdraw its military forces and all other unauthorised personnel from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, its immediate surroundings, and all of Ukraine so that the operator and the Ukrainian authorities can resume their sovereign responsibilities within Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders and the legitimate operating staff can conduct their duties without outside interference, threat, or unacceptably harsh working conditions,” the statement underlines.
On 5 August, the Russian Defence Ministry accused the Ukrainian military of shelling the power plant, while Ukraine’s nuclear energy agency said that it was Russia’s doing. Since then, both sides have been periodically bringing forward similar accusations. The latest statements on shelling, in which both sides blamed each other, were shared yesterday, 13 August.
UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, has called on Russia and Ukraine to immediately cease hostilities around the power plant. He also said that all military personnel and hardware should be withdrawn from the area and prevented from being re-deployed there again.
