Greenpeace Condemns IAEA's Failure Amidst Critical Threats to Ukraine's Nuclear Safety

Kyiv, 28 November 2024 - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is failing in its role to urgently protect Ukraine’s nuclear plants against Russian missile attack, Greenpeace CEE said in reaction to the latest large-scale missile strikes targeting Ukraine’s vulnerable electricity system early this morning. In September, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi agreed with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy to expand the Agency’s inspection mission to include electric substations targeted by the Russian military.(1) An analysis by Greenpeace in October highlighted the vulnerability of Ukraine’s nuclear plant to catastrophic failure through electric grid instability caused by Russian missile and drone attacks.(2)

Three months have passed since the IAEA agreed to develop a plan and deploy its inspectors to protect Ukraine’s electricity system. This has so far resulted in a total of six days of inspection, the last one occurring in October. Since then Russia has launched two massive strikes, deliberately targeting Ukraine’s electric grid and threatening the safety of its nuclear plants. After months of failing to deploy inspectors to critical electricity substations, the IAEA Director, responding to mounting pressure following the Russian missile attacks on 17 November, assured Ukraine’s energy minister, that the Agency, “is ready to organize the relevant missions in the near future.”(3)

 “The IAEA is fully aware of the risks, yet has so far  chosen not to act. The future Grossi refers to is happening now, and it is a true emergency in which every day, every hour counts. Words from the IAEA do not protect Ukraine’s nuclear plants against Russian missile attack. Where are the IAEA plans for permanent, comprehensive protection at substations, which are essential to prevent grid collapse and a nuclear disaster in Europe?” said Shaun Burnie, a nuclear specialist with Greenpeace Ukraine in Kyiv.

 On 25 November, United Nations human rights experts made an urgent appeal for Russia to stop its missile attacks on Ukraine’s electricity system. They highlighted the lack of IAEA plans for its missions to critical substations, warning of the risk of a nuclear disaster potentially exceeding both the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi accident in Japan and the 1986 Chornobyl disaster in Ukraine.(4)

ENDS

Notes:

1 - President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyyolodymyr Zelenskyy Met with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, 3 September 2024, see: https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/volodimir-zelenskij-zustrivsya-z-generalnim-direktorom-magat-92993 

 2 – Greenpeace Ukraine, Greenpeace urges IAEA to step up inspections in Ukraine as war enters ‘uniquely dangerous phase’, 2 October 2024, see: https://www.greenpeace.org/ukraine/en/novyny/2985/greenpeace-urges-iaea-to-step-up-inspections-in-ukraine-as-war-enters-uniquely-dangerous-phase; and- Greenpeace Greenpeace: new Russian airstrikes on substations may lead to large-scale blackouts, 20 November 2024  https://www.greenpeace.org/ukraine/novyny/3080/novi-rosiys%ca%b9ki-aviaudary-po-pidstantsiyakh-mozhut%ca%b9-pryzvesty-do-masshtabnykh-blekautiv/

See also Greenpeace press release of 20 November 2024: Greenpeace demands immediate deployment of IAEA protection mission to Ukraine to avoid nuclear catastrophe. Kyiv, 20 November 2024.  https://www.greenpeace.org/ukraine/en/news/3093/greenpeace-demands-immediate-deployment-of-iaea-protection-mission-to-ukraine-to-avoid-nuclear-catastrophe/ 

 3 - The Minister of Energy of Ukraine met with the IAEA Director General: what they discussed, 21 November 2024, see https://unn.ua/en/news/the-minister-of-energy-of-ukraine-met-with-the-iaea-director-general-what-they-discussed

 4 – Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy system risks nuclear disaster: UN rights experts, 25 November 2024, see https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/11/1157441

CONTACTS:

Shaun Burnie, Greenpeace Ukraine nuclear specialist currently in Kyiv, shaun.burnie@greenpeace.org, +447904958266

Daryna Rogachuk, Communications Manager at Greenpeace Ukraine – drogachu@greenpeace.org, +389 63 598 2600