Open appeal of Ukrainian public organizations, international organizations, and the scientific community to the member states of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), delegates of the 66th IAEA General Conference, the Board of Governors, and the executive authority of the IAEA
Since the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion of the sovereign territory of the state of Ukraine, the Russian military has systematically carried out actions around Ukrainian nuclear power plants (NPP), which are literally manifestations of nuclear terrorism. Thus blackmailing the entire civilized world, creating the risk of a nuclear disaster that could threaten the life and health of the civilian population, environment of Ukraine and have harmful long-term consequences for all countries of Europe and the world.
Chronology of the acts having signs of nuclear terrorism by Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine:
- Since February 24, 2022, the Chornobyl NPP was occupied by the Russian army for 36 days. In March, it was completely de-energized for several days due to the actions of the Russian military, as a result of which the cooling systems were in danger of being disconnected.
- On March 4, 2022, Russian forces seized and occupied the Zaporizhzhia NPP (ZNPP) and the city of Enerhodar, along with civilians and station personnel who have de-facto been held hostage by the Russian military ever since.
- On April 6, 2022, three Russian cruise missiles that flew critically low could have hit the nuclear reactor of the South Ukraine NPP.
- On April 25, 2022, the flight of two Russian missiles over the nuclear facilities of the Khmelnytskyi NPP was recorded.
- On April 26, 2022, two cruise missiles flew at low altitude over the site of the ZNPP.
- On June 5, 2022, a Russian missile flew critically low over the South Ukraine NPP.
- On June 29, 2022, ZNPP employee Andrii Honcharuk was tortured to death, having refused to drain the cooling pools at the ZNPP at the request of the occupying forces.
- On August 5, 7, 11, 2022, the Russian military shelled the ZNPP, which resulted in damage to the nitrogen-oxygen station, the combined auxiliary building of the ZNPP, the transmission lines:
○ 330 kV “ZAES – Zaporizka TPP”
○ 750 kV “ZAES – Kakhovska substation”
As well as damage to the radiation monitoring system around the site of the station’s dry storage of spent nuclear fuel.
- On August 25, 2022, the temporarily occupied ZNPP in Enerhodar due to a blackout, caused by shelling by the Russian military was disconnected from the Ukrainian power system for the first time in history
- On September 1, 2022, the Russian military threatened the life and health of inspectors of the IAEA mission to the ZNPP by intensive shelling of the city of Enerhodar.
- Shelling and disconnection of the Zaporizhzhia NPP from Ukraine’s united energy system (UES) continued throughout September.
- On the night of September 19, the Russian military launched a missile attack on the industrial zone of the South Ukrainian nuclear power plant. A powerful explosion occurred only 300 m from the reactors of the South Ukrainian nuclear power plant.
It is also worth noting that since the beginning of the occupation of the ZNPP, representatives of the State Nuclear Energy Corporation “Rosatom” and JSC “Rosenergoatom” have stayed illegally at the plant and participated in the implementation of measures aimed at disconnecting the ZNPP from the UES of Ukraine.
With such actions, the Russian federation violates:
- Protocol 1 to the Geneva Convention; IAEA General Conference resolution GC(XXXI)/RES/475 on Protection of Nuclear Installations Against Armed Attacks, UN Charter, international nuclear treaties;
- Nuclear and radiation safety requirements, in particular, the principles of the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism;
- The Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and nuclear facilities, as amended in accordance with the Amendment to the Convention;
- The International Convention against the Taking of Hostages.
Additionally, the aggressor completely ignores the implementation of IAEA Board of Governors Resolution GOV/2022/17 of March 3, 2022 “The safety, security and safeguards implications of the situation in Ukraine”.
These facts testify to Russia’s non-compliance with the norms of international law, international conventions, laws and customs of war.
As a result of the failure of the Russian army to comply with any resolutions of the IAEA Governing Council, Russia’s continued free will in the structure of the IAEA Governing Council and its executive authorities call into question the possibility of ensuring the main functions of the IAEA Charter, namely: to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to prevent its use in any military purposes. The situation also shows that the IAEA Charter needs updating, namely: the provision of actions in case of aggression of one participating country against another.
With this letter, we call on the representatives of the member states of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the delegates of the 66th General Conference of the IAEA, the Board of Governors, and the executive authority of the IAEA to take the following measures:
- Contribute to excluding Russia from the Board of Governors of the IAEA for 2023 and subsequent years as long as any armed aggression of Russia continues on the territory of sovereign Ukraine.
- Suspend Russia’s rights as a member of the IAEA: the opportunity to participate in programs of technical cooperation, scientific and technological exchange, and international research projects conducted under the auspices of the Agency, the assistance provided by the Agency, return of materials and equipment provided to Russia for use, etc.
- Remove Russian citizens from performing duties in the executive authority of the IAEA.
- Suspend all on-going technical cooperation, scientific and technological exchange conducted between the Agency and the State Nuclear Energy Corporation “Rosatom” and JSC “Rosenergoatom.
Organizations-signatories according to the list:
«SaveDnipro» / «SaveEcoBot» NGO;
«Center for Environmental Initiatives Ecoaction» NGO;
Foundation International Centre for Ukrainian Victory;
«Anti-Corruption Action Center» NGO;
«National Interest Advocacy Network “ANTS”» NGO;
KHMELNYTSKYI ENERGY CLUSTER (NGO KEC);
ECOCLUB NGO;
International charitable organization «Environment-People-Law» (EPL);
«DiXi Group» NGO;
«OPEN DATA ASSOCIATION» NGO;
«YOUCONTROL» LTD;
«UKRAINIAN ECOLOGICAL CLUB GREEN WAVE (UEC GREEN WAVE)» NGO;
«ECOGVALT» NGO;
«National Ecological Center of Ukraine (NECU)» NGO;
«Stockholm Tactical Fundraising Ukraine» NGO;
«OSOKORKY WETLAND PARK» NGO;
«Nordic Ukraine Forum» NGO;
Energy Transition Coalition;
«OFFICE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT» NGO;
Association of Industrial Automation of Ukraine (APPAU);
Clarity Project;
ICO Information Center «Green Dossier»;
Razom We Stand, NGO;
Civil Control Platform, NGO;
«EcoUA» NGO;
DZYGA-LIFE WITH ADHD (DZYGA) NGO;
PUBLIC ORGANIZATION «TOGETHER»;
«Planeta Vodogin», NGO;
«Eco Group Razom», NGO;
«Ukraine needs you» , NGO;
«Terra of Hope», NGO;
Charitable Organization Movement for the spiritual revival of Donbass «Plich-o-Plich»;
«FREE COUNTRY CJMMUNITIES», NGO;
MARY’S DISTRICT PUBLIC ORGANIZATION OF THE DISABLED «SFERA MYLOSERDYA»;
“THE COMMUNITY OF REFUGEES FROM EASTERN UKRAINE”, NGO;
PUBLIC ORGANIZATION «UKRAINE. TIME TO CONNECT»;
«Alliance of NEW Melitopol residents», NGO;
RESOURCE CENTER «DOBRODAR», NGO;
PUBLIC ORGANIZATION «CENTER FOR REFORM, DEMOCRACY AND RIGNT»;
«Pereselentsi Donbasu na Sumshchyni», NGO;
«Na dobro», NGO;
«UNITY AND INTERACTION», NGO;
COMMUNITY SUPPORT CENTERP, NGO;
UBLIC ORGANIZATION «OUR PEOPLE»;
«Spilka uchasnykiv ATO Boyarky» , NGO;
«Luhansk regional public human rights women’s organization «Chaika», NGO;
«THE FUTURE WITHOUT BORDERS» NGO;
«ASSOCIATION OF RESETTLERS APRIL – 2014» NGO;
«MY TRANSCARPATHIA», NGO;
CHARITY ORGANIZATION FUND REVIVAL AND UNITY (CO FUND REVIVAL AND UNITY);
«LIGA DNIPRO», NGO;
«Cherkasy Information Agency 18000», NGO
Danube-Carpathian Programme NGO (Lviv, Ukraine)