On 30 January 2026, an extraordinary meeting of the Board of Governors of the IAEA was held in Vienna, focused on the critical nuclear safety situation in Ukraine caused by deliberate and systematic attacks by the Russian Federation on the country’s energy infrastructure.

Opening the session, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi emphasized that external power supply to nuclear facilities is a critical condition for nuclear safety. He highlighted that the stable operation of nuclear sites directly depends on the functioning of the energy network, and that attacks on substations and other energy infrastructure components create direct nuclear risks.

The Director General’s statement publicly refuted attempts by the Russian Federation to question the IAEA’s mandate regarding external power supply, confirming that such actions undermine internationally agreed nuclear safety frameworks.

During the meeting, nearly fifty national and joint statements were delivered, with the overwhelming majority recognizing that systematic Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure create a risk of nuclear incident and cannot be justified.

The extraordinary session contributed to countering Russian propaganda and efforts to evade accountability for the humanitarian consequences of attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, and advanced discussions on practical international mechanisms for returning the occupied ZNPP to its legitimate owner.

Following the session, Ukraine announced plans to propose amendments to the IAEA Statute aimed at limiting the rights of the aggressor state within Agency bodies. Ukraine also reiterated concerns regarding the legitimacy of Russia’s membership on the IAEA Board of Governors given its actions that contradict the Agency’s purposes, principles, and fundamental tasks.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expresses its gratitude to the members of the Board of Governors who, at Ukraine’s request, initiated this extraordinary session, particularly the Kingdom of the Netherlands with the support of Canada, Lithuania, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, Romania, Portugal, France, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Ukraine also thanks all IAEA member states for their principled stance, solidarity, and clear support in safeguarding nuclear safety.