05/05/2022 14:50

Commissioner: Russia's actions at the Zaporizhzhya NPP are a war crime and an act of nuclear terrorism

The largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine and Europe Zaporizhzhya NPP (ZNPP) has been under the control of the russian military for over 2 months.

Russia is under constant pressure and harassment of ZNPP personnel, in particular, the station's management is prohibited from leaving the city of Energodar.

As a result of such actions by the Russian Federation, a meeting of the Council of Chief Engineers of NNEGC Energoatom, which addressed urgent issues of physical safety of nuclear facilities, nuclear and radiation safety and repairs of nuclear facilities, was held without the participation of a representative of ZNPP.

In order to comply with the norms of nuclear, radiation and environmental safety, it is extremely important for ZNPP specialists to be present at such meetings, because, despite the russian occupation, ZNPP continues to operate in Ukraine's energy system.

Currently, the ecological, fire and radiation conditions on the territory of the industrial site and the sanitary protection zone of ZNPP are within the norm.

I emphasize that the capture of ZNPP and the regular flights of cruise missiles over Ukrainian nuclear facilities pose an environmental threat to the world.

Russia's actions at the Zaporizhzhya NPP are a crime against humanity and a war crime as defined in Articles 7 and 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and an act of nuclear terrorism.

I call on the international community and the IAEA to take all possible measures to withdraw the russian military from the ZNPP territory immediately.

I appeal to the UN Commission for Investigation Human Rights Violations during Russia's military invasion of Ukraine to take into account these facts of Russia's war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.