russia’s seizure of Chornobyl is “nuclear terrorism” – Ukraine

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Ukraine is requesting the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to call upon NATO to close access to the airspace over Ukraine’s nuclear facilities and to intensify the efforts to prevent any act of nuclear terrorism, which is factually the seizure by the russian Federation of Chornobyl nuclear power plant and the Exclusion Zone. 

“In order to return the situation, which is related to the safety and security of nuclear installations and facilities on the Chornobyl NPP site and in the Exclusion Zone, to the legal fold, we urge the decisive action be taken with respect to (…) the IAEA’ s request  to NATO to establish an A2 / AD zone (Anti Access / Area Denial, prohibition of access and closure of the territory) over the territory of Ukraine, taking into account the risks and geography of the location of NNEGC “Energoatom” NPPs”, is stated in the Joint Address to the IAEA on March 2, 2022, which is available to the Energy Reform.

The Joint Address was signed by the Minister of Energy Herman Galushchenko, the Head of the State Inspectorate for Nuclear Regulation Oleg Korikov and the Head of NNEGC “Energoatom” Petro Kotin.

As said in that Joint Address, the representatives of Ukraine also insist on the actions to be taken on the IAEA’s side in order to immediately cease fire and prevent the occupying forces from approaching at a distance of less than 30 km from the nuclear power plant, as well as to activate the IAEA EIC headquarters to coordinate actions for preventing any acts of nuclear terrorism at ChNPP and for providing humanitarian and psychological assistance to its personnel.

“The fact of seizure of the world-famous Chornobyl nuclear power plant has all indications of the act of nuclear terrorism being committed by russian military units against Chornobyl nuclear facilities and its personnel,” is emphasized in the address.

Its authors stressed that the Chornobyl personnel, who have been detained by the russian military without rotation for the seven days, are subjected to psychological pressure and moral exhaustion, and as a result, have limited opportunities to communicate, move and continue fulfilling the full scope of repair and maintenance, which causes disruption of the radiological regime and endangers their lives and health.

“While informing the IAEA of the safety and security status of nuclear facilities in the context of hostilities, we expect the concrete joint efforts to be taken on the IAEA’s side in the form of  ‘peer pressure’ typically applied by the IAEA Member Countries against the parties who evade from prioritizing safety,” is emphasized in the address.

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