The 69th General Conference of the IAEA has adopted a resolution sponsored by Ukraine reaffirming “its grave concern that the Russian Federation has not heeded the repeated calls by the Board of Governors and General Conference to … withdraw its military and other personnel from Ukraine’s Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).”
It “calls for the urgent withdrawal of all unauthorised military and other unauthorised personnel from Ukraine’s ZNPP and for the plant to be immediately returned to the full control of the competent Ukrainian authorities to ensure its safety and security and in order for the Agency to conduct safe, efficient, full and effective safeguards implementation, including physical verification activities at the ZNPP, in accordance with Ukraine’s comprehensive safeguards agreement and additional protocol.”
The resolution “calls upon the Russian Federation, until it returns Ukraine’s ZNPP to the full control of the competent Ukrainian authorities, to provide ISAMZ [IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhia] with unrestricted and timely access to and from all relevant locations at and around the ZNPP and open information sharing in order to allow the IAEA to fully report on the nuclear safety and security situation at the site and to undertake vital safeguards activities.”
The resolution was adopted with 62 countries in favour, seven against and 46 abstentions. According to the Permanent Representative of Russia, Mikhail Ulyanov, in 2023, 69 countries voted in favour of a similar resolution, six voted against, and 33 abstained. He noted that this is the first time that more than a third of the participants have abstained. He said the record number of abstentions indicates that many countries have reconsidered their positions. He added that Hungary and the United States were among the abstaining countries.
Russia took control of the six-unit ZNPP in March 2022 and the following September a referendum was held in Zaporozhye region in which according to Russian officials of the Central Election Commission 93.11% (of 541,093 voters) favoured joining the Russian Federation on a turnout of 85.4%. On 5 October 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree formally transferring ZNPP to Russian jurisdiction under nuclear utility Rosenergoatom (part of Rosatom). A Russian Federal State Unitary Enterprise, JSC Zaporizhia NPP, was established by nuclear utility Rosenergoatom to operate the plant. However, Ukraine continues to claim ownership of the plant. All six units are currently in cold shutdown.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the IAEA resolution was provocative. “We strongly reject the fabrications and political distortions contained in the resolution, particularly the questioning of the Russian ownership of the ZNPP, as well as the calls for our country to renounce the territories that were incorporated into Russia in accordance with the will of their people and international law.”
The statement added: “Despite the ongoing attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russia is ensuring the safety of the ZNPP in full compliance with its national legislation and the international obligations assumed by our country.”
The Ministry also noted that there is no IAEA “mission” at the ZNPP, but only a group of Agency secretariat employees which is there at Russia’s invitation. The Ministry pointed out that they have access only to those facilities and premises of the plant “where the Russian side considers it possible and useful to invite them”. The Ministry said the resolution’s additional requirements in this regard were unacceptable.
Meanwhile, ZNPP Director, Yuriy Chernichuk, said all the station’s personnel, from management to workers, have been recruited, certified, and are working in strict compliance with Russian legislation. “The organisational structure has been formed. Its implementation is scheduled for the end of the year,” he emphasised.
“All the staff working at the station right now, from me to the cleaner or the mechanic in the repair shop, they have already been recruited, certified, and are working in accordance with the requirements of the law of the Russian Federation. This is a very good and positive development,” he said. He added that this work is part of a large and long-term process of integrating the ZNPP into the Russian Federation.
He told TASS, process of integrating the ZNPP into the Russian Federation is in the final stage, and significant work has been done in all areas over the past three years. “In October 2022, after our organisation was established it [the integration process] is constantly moving. I won’t talk about the percentage of implementation of this plan, but we have moved quite far. We can safely say that this process is in the final stage.”
Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to attack ZNPP. On 20 September, the training centre was targeted again. The Armed Forces of Ukraine attacked it with at least three drones. According to preliminary reports, there were no injuries or damage.
