Ukraine receives support from IAEA, expects decision on setting 30-km security zone around nuclear facilities – Energoatom head

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) listened to Ukraine's requests to establish a 30-kilometer security zone around its nuclear facilities in connection with the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, as well as to influence the return of control over Chornobyl nuclear power plant, Energoatom head Petro Kotin said.

He specified that the relevant decision of the IAEA should be taken today.

"Our demands were accepted, and today we are waiting for a decision to establish a security zone around our nuclear facilities, as well as to return control over our nuclear facilities at Chornobyl nuclear power plant, to withdraw the invaders from Chornobyl nuclear power plant and prevent them from being admitted further," Kotin said in a video message posted on Telegram.

"But, of course, the most important thing for us is that they get out of the territory of Ukraine altogether," the head of the company stressed.

According to him, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry takes part in meetings at the IAEA regarding the situation with Ukrainian nuclear power plants during hostilities.

At the same time, according to the interlocutor of the Energy Reform online portal, an expert in the field of nuclear energy, Russia's influence in the IAEA is quite strong, "and the fact that it takes part in these meetings where topics related to it are discussed is beyond doubt."

As reported, Energoatom, in connection with the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, turned to the IAEA with a request to initiate the creation of a 30-kilometer safe zone around Ukraine's nuclear facilities.

"In connection with the threats of a planetary scale caused by Russian aggression, we ask the IAEA to intervene to prevent Russian troops from entering the 30-kilometer zone around our nuclear power plants, and we also call on Russia to immediately leave the Chornobyl zone and return control over nuclear facilities to the Ukrainian side," Kotin said in a telephone conversation with IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi on February 28.