The 27th rotation of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) observers has been completed at the Zaporizhia NPP (ZNPP) after a month’s delay. The rotation, which saw three new inspectors replace the four, whose departure was delayed, for the first time took place solely through the territory of the Russian Federation instead from Kyiv. This avoided the need to cross the contact line.
Experts of the IAEA Support & Assistance Mission to Zaporizhia (ISAMZ) have been present at the plant since September 2022, after Grossi’s first visit to the NPP. Usually, a team of observers including 3-4 inspectors works at the station for a month before being replaced by the next group on a rotating basis. The task of ISAMZ is to monitor and assess the state of safety of the NPP, both operational and physical.
“It is of fundamental importance that the route passed through the territory of the Russian Federation for the first time,” ZNPP said, noting that the rotation had been postponed twice “due to provocations from Kyiv”.
The rotation had previously been planned for 5th February but was postponed for “security reasons to 12th February. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the Russian military waited for several hours at the exchange point for the IAEA experts at the agreed place, but new group of specialists failed to arrive from Ukrainian territory. As the outgoing IAEA team accompanied by Russian military personnel were returning to ZNPP the convoy, was hit by drones and mortar fire. Grossi said it was “completely unacceptable that the safety of our staff is jeopardised in this way”.
Previously in December, during the 25th planned rotation of experts the convoy involved in the transportation of Agency personnel came under attack in the territory controlled by Kyiv during which one vehicle had been damaged by a drone.
In February, following consultations with both Russia and Ukraine, IAEA decided to proceed with the rotation using Russian territory. This is something that had previously been suggested by several Russian official including Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev. The ZNPP press service noted that the security of latest rotation “was ensured thanks to the dedicated and professional work of military personnel of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation and Rosgvardiya”.
According to Russian media, the route of the IAEA personnel passed through the territories controlled by Russia, most probably from Crimea, which allowed them to reach the station quickly and without risks.
Ukraine objected at the decision to use Russian territory. “Ukraine once again confirms its firm position that any rotation of IAEA experts at the Nuclear Power Plant should take place completely in accordance with international law and exclusively along routes agreed with the Ukrainian authorities, through territories that are under the full control of Ukraine,” Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko said in a letter posted on the Ministry’s Telegram channel.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs formally protested to the IAEA “Ukraine has sent a note of protest to the IAEA leadership, in which it condemns the violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state and warns against repeating any such actions in the future,” a Ministry statement said. Ukraine has sent a note of protest to the IAEA senior officials, condemning the violation of our state’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and warning against any repetition of similar actions in the future.…Only the cessation of Russia’s nuclear blackmail and the return of ZNPP under the control of its rightful owner – Ukraine – will ensure genuine IAEA monitoring at the plant and guarantee nuclear safety in Europe.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi at a press conference on the sidelines of the IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna, was asked whether he was concerned that the decision to use Russian territory for the rotation could be seen as endorsing Russia’s control of ZNPP, which is still formally considered to be Ukrainian.
He said the decision “was solely driven by the necessity to protect the lives of those who are working there”. He said it was an “extraordinary circumstance driven by the impossibility of conducting the rotation in a secure manner”. He added: “I am responsible for the security of our staff…and I can’t put them in harm’s way. A series of episodes led me to conclude that I could not take risks with the lives of my experts”.
He noted: “It is, of course, a difficult situation and this is an exception and the only thing behind this is the protection of the lives of the experts. There is nothing more. Reading more into that is not a good idea.” He confirmed that he had discussed the decision with both Russian and Ukrainian officials, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
