EU Statement on nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine at the IAEA Special Board of Governors on 12 December 2024

Chair,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina[1]  and Georgia, the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as San Marino, align themselves with this statement.

The EU reiterates its strongest condemnation of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which constitutes a clear violation of the UN Charter and the IAEA Statute. It has significantly increased the risk of a nuclear accident, with potentially grave radiological consequences for human health and the environment, including for global food security, if agricultural land was to be contaminated.

On 28 November, Russia again launched military strikes which affected the Ukrainian electrical infrastructure and further endangered nuclear safety and security, with potentially severe consequences for Ukraine and all of us. Ukraine’s three operating nuclear power plants had to sharply reduce their electricity production. The strikes impacted the substations which all the nuclear power plants use to transmit and receive electricity and are important for nuclear safety.

We therefore fully support Ukraine’s request to convene this extraordinary Board meeting.

In fact, already since February 2022, Russia has conducted repeated and large-scale missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. This has deprived civilians of electricity, heat and water during freezing conditions. The extensive destruction caused by these attacks demonstrates Russia’s clear intent to inflict suffering on the civilian population, in violation of international humanitarian law.

Chair,

We were appalled to learn that a drone hit and severely damaged also an official vehicle of the IAEA that was driving in Ukraine towards the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). We firmly condemn this unacceptable attack against the IAEA and its staff. The EU strongly supports the work of the IAEA in Ukraine and the expansion of its monitoring activities to the substations critical for nuclear safety. We appreciate that since the last Board meeting, the IAEA has continued to provide important assistance to Ukraine, and invaluable, independent and objective information to the international community. We encourage the IAEA to continue to report on the status of the critical energy infrastructure essential for nuclear safety and security in Ukraine.

IAEA experts have reported extensive damage at the substations from their monitoring missions in September and October. The attacks have further destabilised Ukraine’s electricity grid, and forced operating nuclear power plants to rely on emergency diesel generators. The Director General has repeatedly warned that Ukraine’s energy infrastructure is extremely fragile and vulnerable, and that the seven indispensable pillars for nuclear safety and security must be complied with to avoid a nuclear accident. Specifically, Pillar 4 states that “there must be a secure off-site power supply from the grid for all nuclear sites”. The EU reiterates that the seven pillars, as well as the five concrete principles for protecting the ZNPP, must be respected.

Chair,

Russia must urgently cease its attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure and withdraw all its military and other unauthorised personnel from Ukraine's ZNPP and the rest of Ukraine’s territory. The EU calls on Russia to immediately and unconditionally comply with all resolutions adopted by this Board and the IAEA General Conference.

The EU reiterates its support for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine, in line with the principles of the UN Charter, based on full respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.

We call on all Board members to support the work of the IAEA in Ukraine and to vote in favour of the draft Resolution before us. A unified message from this Board will send a strong signal of our determination to maintain nuclear safety and security. We cannot afford to wait until it is too late.

Thank you, Chair.

[1] North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.