The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine rejects the groundless allegations made by the Russian Federation claiming Ukraine's alleged involvement in the death of a person near the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).

No independent confirmation of the Russian version of events or any evidence of Ukraine's involvement has been presented, while information disseminated by the Russian occupation authorities cannot be regarded as credible.

It is essential to consider the broader context of Russia's allegations, namely its continuous and deliberate escalation of the situation around the ZNPP and the city of Enerhodar, Russia's attacks against the plant's personnel, its facilities and the city's civilian infrastructure, its intimidation of the international community through nuclear risk rhetoric, and its attempts to portray Ukraine as a source of danger. At the same time, the Russian side continues to increase political pressure on the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), seeking to shift responsibility for the consequences of Russia's occupation onto Ukraine.

The root cause of all threats surrounding the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant remains its illegal seizure, militarization and use by the Russian Federation for military purposes. The IAEA Board of Governors and the IAEA General Conference have repeatedly called on Russia to withdraw all military and other unauthorized personnel from the plant, cease its unlawful control over the ZNPP, and return it to the full control of the competent authorities of Ukraine. Moscow continues to deliberately disregard these decisions by maintaining its military personnel, representatives of Rosatom, and the occupation administration it established at the Ukrainian nuclear facility, while persisting in its plans to integrate the plant into the Unified Energy System of the Russian Federation.

Ukraine expects the IAEA Secretariat to adhere to the principles of objectivity, impartiality and factual accuracy, and to refrain from any actions that could be perceived as legitimizing the Russian occupation administration at the ZNPP.

Ukraine calls on the international community not to be misled by Russian disinformation and information manipulation, and to increase pressure on the aggressor state to ensure its compliance with the decisions of the IAEA Board of Governors and the IAEA General Conference, the demilitarization and de-occupation of the ZNPP and the city of Enerhodar, and the prompt return of the plant to the full control of its legitimate Ukrainian operator, JSC NNEGC Energoatom.

Restoring full Ukraine’s control over the plant is not a political aspiration but an imperative under international law and an indispensable prerequisite for preserving nuclear safety in Europe.