Ukraine on Friday expressed concern over Russia’s continued control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, warning that the situation poses risks to nuclear safety and regional stability.
“Ukraine strongly condemns the attempts of the Russian Federation to legitimize the illegal control over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, calling the plant’s occupation “a direct threat to the security of the entire European continent.”
Kyiv said centralized control and actions that affect the plant’s technical stability contradict international nuclear safety standards, and urged the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to take a clear position on the matter.
“Any decision regarding the plant’s operation must involve Ukraine’s authorized regulators,” the ministry said, adding that interference from other entities undermines safety procedures.
Ukraine also called on international partners to increase pressure and impose further sanctions on Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy corporation Rosatom.
“We believe that ending cooperation with Rosatom and isolating the nuclear sector of the Russian Federation is an appropriate response,” it added.
The ministry emphasized that restoring full Ukrainian control over the facility is “the only way to ensure nuclear safety and stability” in accordance with international standards and IAEA guidelines.
The Zaporizhzhia plant has been under Russian control since March 2022.
Earlier this week, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the nuclear plant was a Russian facility and transferring control of it to Ukraine or any other country was impossible.