Ukraine condemns IAEA chief's visit to Russia, Rosatom meeting

Ukraine has criticized the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) participation in Russia's World Atomic Week forum on Sept. 26, saying it is being exploited by Russian propaganda, according to a statement by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.

Rafael Grossi, IAEA director general, visited Moscow on Sept. 26 to participate in the forum, which marked the 80th anniversary of Russia's nuclear industry. He also met with Russia's nuclear agency Rosatom, which has been found to be complicit in war crimes at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, occupied by Russia in 2022.

During the visit, Grossi attended official events and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev "to exchange on the nuclear safety and security at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant," Grossi wrote on X.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry condemned the forum and the IAEA's presence, saying that "Russia effectively used the agency's leadership for its own propaganda purposes."

Kyiv emphasized that such appearances by international officials risk "whitewashing its crimes in the field of nuclear and radiation safety."

"Ukraine views the IAEA solely as an instrument for preventing nuclear risks and expects the agency to adhere strictly to the principles of objectivity, impartiality, and independence," the statement reads.

"The state corporation Rosatom, which organized the 'celebrations,' is an integral part of Russia's military-industrial complex and an instrument of occupation of Ukrainian nuclear facilities, primarily the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant."

Just days before the event, Truth Hounds and Greenpeace Ukraine published research about Rosatom's complicity in war crimes, including the detention and torture of staff at the nuclear power plant, adding to a growing risk of a nuclear disaster.

Russian forces took control of Enerhodar, home to Europe's largest nuclear power plant, in March 2022, the first time in history that a military occupation took over such a facility.

"Right now, the (Zaporizhzhia plant) is like a time bomb, as the consequences (of Russia's presence there) are unpredictable," Daryna Rogachuk, Greenpeace Ukraine representative, said at a presentation of the report on Sept. 24.

Russian nuclear giant Rosatom not only became the operator of the plant after taking it from Ukraine’s control, but also played a leading role in the region’s political processes, cooperating with the Russian military and Federal Security Service (FSB), the report said.

"The occupiers' criminal interference in the operation of the seized station poses a direct threat to nuclear safety both in Ukraine and beyond its borders. Not only are the basic principles of the IAEA being violated, but also the fundamental norms of international humanitarian law," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.

On Sept. 23, Russian troops reportedly struck a power line, severing the plant’s connection to Ukraine’s electrical grid. The final functioning line supplying electricity to the facility was cut at approximately 5 p.m. local time.

As a result, the plant has been forced to rely on backup diesel generators to maintain critical safety functions, according to Ukraine's state nuclear agency Energoatom.

"This creates a critical situation that threatens the security of not only Ukraine but also European countries," Energoatom said.

Russia’s Rosatom complicit in war crimes, report alleges, says treatment of power plant staff risks nuclear disaster

Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation, Rosatom, is complicit in war crimes including the detention and torture of staff at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), adding to a growing risk of a nuclear disaster, a new report by Truth Hounds and Greenpeace Ukraine claims. Russian forces took control of Energodar, home to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in March 2022, the first time in history that a military occupation took over such a facility. “Right now, the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear

The Kyiv IndependentYuliia Taradiuk