EU Statement on Nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine - Board of Governors International Atomic Energy Agency

EU Statement on Nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine - Board of Governors
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, 30 January 2026

Chair,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the EU. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Republic of Moldova, San Marino, and Ukraine align themselves with this statement.

The convening of this extraordinary meeting of the Board of Governors is a sign of the further escalation of Russia's large-scale drone and missile attacks systematically targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure, including those elements critical for the off-site power supply of nuclear power plants. These attacks directly increase risks to nuclear safety. They may also amount to a serious violation of international humanitarian law.

Since the Board of Governors' meeting in November, Russia's attacks led to a temporary loss of all off-site power at the Chornobyl site. Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has also experienced further losses of off-site power. These followed a record-breaking month-long outage last autumn. As a consequence of Russia's sustained military strikes on the energy system, all Ukraine's operating nuclear power plants have been forced to reduce power output in recent weeks. Although both the Dniprovska and Ferosplavna-1 power lines were ultimately repaired, these repeated disruptions of the off-site power supply demonstrate time and again the persistent fragility of the external power supply.

Substations and power lines are essential elements of the off-site power supply, underpinning the reliable operation of systems important to nuclear safety. While nuclear power plants are designed with multiple, diverse and redundant on-site power sources, repeated disruptions of off-site power constitute a risk-significant factor that diminishes redundancy, increases reliance on safety systems and places increased demands on those systems and emergency provisions.

We call on Russia to immediately cease all military operations, in particular those targeting Ukraine's energy and other critical infrastructure. The EU reiterates the imperative to uphold the seven indispensable pillars for ensuring nuclear safety and security during armed conflict, as outlined by the IAEA Director General. In particular, pillar 4 states that "there must be a secure off-site power supply from the grid for all nuclear sites". Continued and systematic attacks on substations and power lines supplying nuclear facilities constitute a flagrant disregard for this pillar.

Chair,

The EU welcomes and supports the IAEA's monitoring missions to Ukraine's nuclear sites, as well as to substations identified by the Agency as essential for the safety of nuclear power plants. They provide valuable first-hand, impartial and factual information on damage incurred and the resulting risks to nuclear facilities. Such information is essential for the Board's assessment, in particular in these extraordinary circumstances. The Agency remains the only international body providing independent and verified information on nuclear safety developments in Ukraine. We express our appreciation for the Agency's commitment and for the professionalism and courage of its staff in continuing these missions despite the risks. We also commend the continued dedication and courage of the brave Ukrainian technicians who, under extreme conditions arising from Russia's war of aggression, undertake significant efforts and risks to repair the damage inflicted on the critical energy infrastructure.

We request the IAEA Secretariat to provide the Board of Governors, ahead of its next meeting in March, with a detailed analysis of the findings from all its missions to substations, as well as an informed assessment of the risks to nuclear safety arising from repeated attacks on energy infrastructure essential for nuclear safety.

Chair,

The EU reiterates its serious concern about Russia's threat to nuclear safety and security in Ukraine. We once again strongly condemn Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, and the illegal seizure of the ZNPP which constitutes a grave violation of the UN Charter and the very principles of the IAEA Statute. Russia's war has substantially increased the risk of a possible nuclear accident with potentially severe consequences for Ukraine and beyond, including for global food security.

In this extreme situation, we urgently appeal to IAEA Member States to offer continued political, financial, technical and in-kind support to the IAEA's nuclear safety and security activities in Ukraine and call on Russia to comply with the IAEA's General Conference and Board of Governors' resolutions on Ukraine. The continuous engagement and leadership of the IAEA Director General are of utmost importance in mobilizing these efforts.

The EU will continue to support Ukraine as long as it takes including in response to the severe humanitarian consequences of Russia's strikes, which have deprived Ukrainian citizens of heat and electricity. We call for additional support from all Member States to restore and strengthen Ukraine's energy system. We reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. The EU remains steadfast in supporting a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine based on international law, including a full and unconditional ceasefire.

Thank you, Chair.