Ukraine urges IAEA not to grant Russia seat on Board of Governors
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has said that Russian claims about a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) emerged on the eve of an IAEA Board of Governors meeting and has called on members not to support granting Russia a seat on the board.
Source: Ukraine's Foreign Ministry in a statement
Details: The ministry firmly rejected Russia's allegations of a Ukrainian drone attack and described them as a disinformation campaign by Russia.
Quote: "Ukraine draws the attention of the IAEA member states to an obvious pattern: practically before every meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors, the Russian Federation launches a new wave of information manipulation around the Zaporizhzhia NPP.
The current provocation occurs on the eve of the June session of the IAEA Board of Governors, during which member countries will consider the Agency's Annual Report for 2025 and the Director General's Report on the Application of Safeguards."
Details: The ministry noted that these documents pose a serious political problem for Russia because they once again reaffirm facts that Moscow has unsuccessfully tried to change for almost four years: the IAEA does not recognise any Russian claims over the ZNPP; the IAEA does not recognise any Russian jurisdiction over Ukrainian nuclear facilities located in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine; and the agency continues to regard the ZNPP as a Ukrainian nuclear facility under illegal Russian occupation.
The same applies to other Ukrainian nuclear facilities located in temporarily occupied territories, including sites in Crimea, such as the Sevastopol research reactor and a subcritical nuclear installation, over which Russia has unsuccessfully attempted to assert its illegal claims.
Ukraine also called on the 34 members of the IAEA Board of Governors to "respond to the actions of the Russian Federation not only in statements but also in decisions".
Quote: "For many years, Russia has enjoyed the privileges and authority granted by membership in the Agency's governing bodies, while simultaneously grossly violating fundamental principles of nuclear safety, occupying the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, obstructing the work of international inspectors, and using nuclear facilities as instruments of military and political pressure.
Today, the members of the IAEA Board of Governors have the opportunity to demonstrate that this behaviour cannot go unpunished.
We call on the members of the Council not to support granting the Russian Federation a seat on the IAEA Board of Governors at their June session."
Background: Ukraine's defence forces previously denied Russian claims that a Ukrainian drone had struck power unit No. 6 of the Russian-occupied ZNPP.
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