UN demands Russia withdraw from occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on July 11 demanding that Russia withdraw from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) and restore full control of the facility to Ukraine.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe's largest nuclear power station, has been under Russian occupation since March 2022. Its position near the front line has led to heightened nuclear safety risks throughout Russia's full-scale war.

Ninety-nine countries voted in favor of the resolution, which "demands that the Russian Federation urgently withdraw its military and other unauthorized personnel from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and immediately return the plant to the full control of the sovereign and competent authorities of Ukraine to ensure its safety and security."

The resolution also condemns Russia for failing to implement safety protocols set out by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and calls on Moscow to allow IAEA inspectors full access to the plant's facilities.

"Today, another important step has been taken on the way to restoring respect for the UN Charter and international law," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X.

"The resolution confirms the need for demilitarization and deoccupation of the ZNPP against the backdrop of Russia's failure to comply with the resolutions of the IAEA governing bodies."

Zelensky said the U.N. vote represents "a continuation" of talks held at Ukraine's global peace summit in Switzerland in June.  

Russian occupation of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant costs Ukraine over $5 billion

Ukraine’s nuclear energy agency Energoatom has lost over Hr 210 billion ($5.2 billion) due to Russia’s occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Energoatom’s acting head Petro Kotin said on June 18.

The Kyiv IndependentElsa Court