By KYIV. Nov 27 (Interfax-Ukraine) – At a meeting of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the European Union and a number of countries, in particular Norway, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Ukraine, called on Russians to withdraw from the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, according to a statement published on the EU website.
“The situation at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) remains difficult and precarious. Six out of the Seven Pillars for nuclear safety and security are compromised either fully or partially. Issues concerning staffing, maintenance, cooling water and off-site power supply continue to pose significant nuclear safety and security risks. None of these existed before Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine and its illegal seizure of the ZNPP which the EU condemns in the strongest possible terms,” the statement said.
According to the document, “the presence of Russian troops at the ZNPP and the presence of vehicles belonging to Russian Federation troops in the turbine halls, as reported by the IAEA, is unacceptable. The EU is deeply concerned about the conditions of the Ukrainian staff and calls for the immediate return of the workers who have been subject to reported forced disappearances.”
The insufficient number of personnel at the ZNPP, 70% of it without valid Ukrainian licences and unfamiliar with essential technical information and procedures of the control rooms, constitutes a serious risk.
“We insist that full control be handed back immediately to competent and authorised Ukrainian staff,” the EU statement said.
