42 countries call on Russia to withdraw its troops from Zaporizhzhia NPP

A total of 42 countries of the world have called on Russia to withdraw its troops from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, stressing that their presence there poses threats to its safe operation.

According to the Yevropeiska Pravda online media, this is stated in a statement published on the website of the EU delegation to international organizations in Vienna.

All EU members and the European Union as a separate signatory, Norway, Great Britain, USA, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Georgia, Moldova, North Macedonia and Turkiye joined the statement.

The countries remind that the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine is a gross violation of the international law and the UN Charter, and that Russia's control over the ZNPP endangers the principles of nuclear safety.

"The deployment of the Russian military and weapons in the territory of the plant is unacceptable and is a disregard for the principles of safety and risk prevention, which all IAEA members have undertaken to respect. We call on the Russian Federation to immediately withdraw the military and other unauthorized personnel from the Zaporizhzhia NPP and the surrounding territory, as well as the entire territory of Ukraine. so that the operator and the Ukrainian authorities can restore sovereign obligations within Ukraine's internationally recognized borders, and that legitimate personnel (stations) can perform their duties without external interference, threats and unacceptably harsh working conditions. This will also enable the IAEA to carry out verification in accordance with Ukraine's obligations regarding preventive measures - in safe conditions and in a timely manner," the signatories emphasize.

The countries add that the invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine and the presence of the Russian military at the nuclear power plant undoubtedly increased the risk of nuclear incidents.

They also condemn Russia's attempts to use disinformation to justify its illegal actions in Ukraine.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, previously the mayor of Enerhodar, Dmytro Orlov, urged residents of the city not to leave their shelters and homes, as well as not to go out into the streets due to enemy shelling in the direction of the Zaporizhzhia NPP.

The Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine stated that at the entrance to Enerhodar, the Russian military is preparing a provocation with the help of the Pion self-propelled guns under the Ukrainian flag.

Analysts of the Institute for the Study of War believe that the Russian occupiers are probably using the Enerhodar-based nuclear power plant to intimidate the West with a nuclear disaster in Ukraine.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba sent a letter to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi and the Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres with a call to send an international mission led by the IAEA and with the participation of UN military experts to assess the threat to nuclear security and security of the Zaporizhzhia NPP.

Meanwhile, adviser to the head of the President's Office Mykhailo Podoliak believes that Russia is shelling the Zaporizhzhia NPP in order to disconnect Ukraine from the Zaporizhzhia NPP and blame Ukraine for this.

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