Nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine: UK national statement to IAEA Board, November 2024
UK Ambassador to the IAEA Corinne Kitsell's statement to the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors meeting on Ukraine
Chair,
The United Kingdom thanks the Director General for this comprehensive report. We value the work of IAEA, particularly the expert and brave IAEA staff, on the ground in Ukraine under such challenging circumstances.
We are deeply concerned by the increasing risk to nuclear safety and security in Ukraine resulting from Russia’s illegal war. Reports of drones in close proximity to operating Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs), frequent air raid alarms at these sites, and dangerous impacts on energy infrastructure, highlight the precariousness of the situation.
We welcome the Agency’s more proactive stance to help ensure the stability of critical energy infrastructure so that it can continue to support nuclear safety. The findings from the Agency’s field visits to seven electrical substations, key to supplying power to Ukraine’s nuclear power plants are worrying. In particular:
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The “extensive damage to the equipment” of all seven substations;
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That “the capabilities of the electrical grid to provide a reliable off-site power supply to Ukrainian NPPs were significantly reduced”; and
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That the “damage done to the to the electrical grid during Russia’s attacks on 26 August 2024” - when at least 127 Russian missiles and 109 drones targeted key energy facilities across the country - “has significantly impacted the operations of several reactors, resulting in equipment damage and malfunctions”.
This report, and the DG’s seven Pillars are clear: a stable off-site power supply for all nuclear sites is essential for nuclear safety. It is deeply concerning that renewed Russian attacks last weekend targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure once again, putting nuclear safety and security under further pressure. If the Russian Federation is serious about “strengthening” nuclear safety, it would immediately halt these dangerous attacks.
Chair,
Once again, the DG’s report assesses the safety and security at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to be “precarious”, with six of the seven DG’s Pillars compromised fully or partially. The report states that, once again, armed troops prevented the ISAMZ team from accessing the western part of the turbine halls of all six units. Without this access the IAEA cannot fully confirm whether there are issues that could affect nuclear safety and security at the plant. ISAMZ have also been unable to access the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant cooling pond isolation gate, the inside of cooling tower number two, and the Zaporizhzhia Thermal Power Plant 330kV open switchyard.
The only way to truly ensure nuclear safety and security is for Russia to withdraw its troops and return of full sovereign control to Ukraine all its nuclear facilities, within its internationally recognized borders, including an end to the illegal seizure of Zaporizhzhia NPP.
Thank you, Chair.