{"id":3469,"date":"2025-03-02T11:46:15","date_gmt":"2025-03-02T09:46:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/ukraine\/?p=3469"},"modified":"2025-12-12T19:45:35","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T17:45:35","slug":"grossi-violates-sovereignty-of-ukraine-by-rotating-zaporizhzhia-npp-mission-team-through-occupied-ukraine-territory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/ukraine\/en\/news\/3469\/grossi-violates-sovereignty-of-ukraine-by-rotating-zaporizhzhia-npp-mission-team-through-occupied-ukraine-territory\/","title":{"rendered":"IAEA Director General Grossi violates sovereignty of Ukraine by rotating Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant mission team through Russia and occupied Ukraine territory for first time\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Greenpeace Ukraine warns: this is another step for Russia to illegally and with no competence restart the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Kyiv, \u00a0 2 March 2025 – The Russian government has successfully blackmailed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) into exchanging or rotating their current mission out of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant for the first time via Russia and Russian occupied Ukraine, Greenpeace Ukraine warned today. IAEA inspectors have been trapped at the nuclear plant since 10 December, as Russian drones have been attacking IAEA mission vehicles trying to rotate the mission. The IAEA mission moved via the Russian border to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant between 28 February and 1 March.<\/p>\n\n

While on humanitarian grounds the extraction of the existing IAEA mission at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant could be justified, the IAEA Director Grossi has also chosen to breach his\u00a0 agreement with Ukraine and send a new mission into the occupied plant via Russia. Greenpeace Ukraine analysis is that the overall objective is for the IAEA to assist Russia in its plans for restarting the Zaporizhzhia nuclear reactors. Russia neither has the competence, staff or equipment to operate the Ukrainian reactors after more than three years of occupation and more than two years of shutdown, using the IAEA presence as a false pretext that it can be done safely.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

The decision by Grossi to proceed with rotation through Russia violates multiple obligations of the IAEA. The government of Ukraine requires that the IAEA mission personnel only rotate between the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant via Ukraine. The 1959 United Nations foundation agreement with the IAEA requires it act in line with the Principles of the UN Charter.(1) In a resolution passed in November 2022, the IAEA Board of Governors, the body that oversees the Secretariat including the Director General, noted that Grossi\u2019s confirmation that, \u201cthe Agency is acting in accordance with this resolution and does not recognize any altered status of any part of Ukraine.\u201d(2)<\/p>\n\n

\u201cBy bending to Russia Grossi has plunged the IAEA into crisis with his blatant disregard for the sovereignty of Ukraine and the charter of the United Nations. It is unprecedented in the history of the nuclear agency. Director Grossi has capitulated to Russia\u2019s blackmail and given Moscow exactly what it was seeking –  de facto illegal recognition that Russia has formal control over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant,\u201d said Jan Vande Putte, nuclear specialist with Greenpeace Ukraine. \u201cDG Grossi has chosen to side with Russia over its illegal occupation of Ukraine and Europe\u2019s largest nuclear plant. He has ignored resolutions of his own Board, and  violated the UN Charter. Director General Grossi has put relations with Russia and its criminal nuclear state above all else and is thereby assisting Russia in its war-crimes, \u201d said Vande Putte.<\/p>\n\n

IAEA personnel have been assigned to the nuclear plant since September 2022, following the attack and illegal occupation by Russian armed forces and Rosatom on 4 March 2022. The IAEA personnel, a team of three or four, are rotated via Ukraine territory with a replacement team every five weeks. To make the rotation requires both Russian and Ukraine armed forces to agree to a short term ceasefire in the frontline area of transfer. The current mission team has been trapped by Russia at the ZNPP since 10 December when a Russian drone attacked one of the IAEA vehicles. Subsequent attempts to rotate the mission have failed. On 12 February, the planned replacement of IAEA personnel was cancelled after the area of transfer came under Russian drone and mortar attack.(4)<\/p>\n\n

\u201cRussia has demonstrated to have no regard for the well-being and even the lives of the members of the IAEA teams based at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Extracting the IAEA team that has been attacked and trapped since December by Russia is indeed a priority. But deliberately sending a new team into harm\u2019s way to be held hostage by Russia is simply reckless and irresponsible. Greenpeace Ukraine only has respect for the bravery of the mission team, what we need is some bravery from the IAEA leadership and to stand up to Russia, \u201d said Vande Putte.<\/p>\n\n

Since at least early 2024, Rosatom and the Russian government have been planning the restart of the six Zaporizhzhia reactors which were shutdown in September 2022.(3) Under pressure to stop the restart plant, DG Grossi has stated in May 2024 that restarting the Zapadnaya NPP was impossible under the current war conditions, but also noted that his talks with Rosatom had included discussions on how \u201cwe can further organize such a restart when such conditions are met.\u201d(5) In December 2024, Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev stated that restarting the reactors, was Rosatoms \u201cdream.\u201d In a 3 February 2025 Greenpeace Ukraine letter to DG Grossi the organization warned that Russian officials had recently announced their intention to restart reactors to generate electricity for Russia and that the IAEA must play no role in supporting the restart.(6)\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

\u201cRussian illegal plans to occupy the Zaporizhzhia plant and restart the reactors have just been given a major boost by the actions of Grossi. A nuclear timebomb is being prepared on the frontline and incredibly, it\u2019s being done with the active support of the IAEA Director \u2013 it\u2019s a nightmare that threatens a nuclear disaster for Ukraine and Europe,\u201d said Shaun Burnie, nuclear specialist at Greenpeace Ukraine. \u201cThere is only one legitimate authority responsible for the safety and security of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and it is Ukraine\u2019s nuclear authority, not the Russian armed forces, Rosatom or the IAEA. Russian plans must be stopped and Ukraine\u2019s sovereignty fully supported \u2013 its allies must challenge Grossi\u2019s violation, including at this week\u2019s Board of Governors,\u201d said Burnie.<\/p>\n\n

Greenpeace Ukraine with other Greenpeace organizations has been campaigning against the restart of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant by Russia, for the de-occupation of the plant of Russian armed forces and Rosatom and for the application of comprehensive sanctions against Rosatom nuclear trade.<\/p>\n\n

CONTACTS:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Shaun Burnie, Greenpeace Ukraine nuclear specialist, <\/p>\n\n

shaun.burnie@greenpeace.org<\/a>, +447904958266<\/p>\n\n

Jan Vande Putte, Greenpeace Ukraine nuclear specialist, <\/p>\n\n

jan.vande.putte@greenpeace.org<\/a>, +32 496 161584<\/p>\n\n

Daryna Rogachuk, Communications Manager at Greenpeace Ukraine <\/p>\n\n

drogachu@greenpeace.org<\/a>, +389 63 598 2600<\/p>\n\n

Notes<\/p>\n\n

1   UN \/ IAEA The Texts Of The Agency\u2019s Agreements With The United Nations, INFCIRC\/11 30 October 1959, see https:\/\/www.iaea.org\/sites\/default\/files\/publications\/documents\/infcircs\/1959\/infcirc11.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n

2   IAEA, The safety, security and safeguards implications of the situation in Ukraine Resolution adopted on 17 November during the 1655th session, GOV\/2022\/71, 17 November 2022, see www.iaea.org\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/gov2022-71.pdf<\/a>, also, IAEA Board Rules and Procedures \u2013 III which states, \u201cThe Director General shall, in accordance with Article VII.B of the Statute, be under the authority of and subject to the control of the Board. He shall perform his duties in accordance with regulations adopted by the Board and shall be guided by the policy of the Agency.\u201d See https:\/\/www.iaea.org\/about\/policy\/board\/rules-and-procedures-of-the-board-of-governors#item3<\/a><\/p>\n\n

3   IAEA Director Must Warn Rosatom Against Restarting Reactors at Zaporizhzhia NPP, 30 January 2024, see https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/ukraine\/novyny\/1955\/dyrektor-mahate-maie-zasterehty-rosatom-vid-perezapuskiv-reaktoriv-na-zaporizkii-aes\/<\/a> <\/p>\n\n

4     Comment by MFA Spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi on Russia’s further disruption of the IAEA rotation at ZNPP, 12 February 2025, <\/a>https:\/\/mfa.gov.ua\/en\/news\/komentar-rechnika-mzs-georgiya-tihogo-shchodo-chergovogo-zrivu-rosiyeyu-rotaciyi-magate-na-zaes<\/a><\/p>\n\n

5   Mind Ukraine, \u201cIAEA Director General: restart of Zaporizhzhya NPP is impossible now Grossi met with the head of Rosatom in Kaliningrad, 28 May 2024, see https:\/\/mind.ua\/en\/news\/20274200-iaea-director-general-restart-of-zaporizhzhya-npp-is-impossible-now<\/a><\/p>\n\n

6 \u00a0 Greenpeace Ukraine calls on the IAEA to prevent the illegal restart of nuclear reactors at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, 3 February 2025, see https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/ukraine\/novyny\/3296\/greenpeace-zaklykaye-mahate-zapobihty-perezapusku-reaktoriv-na-zaes\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Greenpeace Ukraine warns: this is another step for Russia to illegally and with no competence restart the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":3467,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"p4_og_title":"","p4_og_description":"","p4_og_image":"","p4_og_image_id":"","p4_seo_canonical_url":"","p4_campaign_name":"","p4_local_project":"","p4_basket_name":"","p4_department":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[113,111],"p4-page-type":[107],"class_list":["post-3469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nuclear","tag-113","tag-zaporizhzhia-en","p4-page-type-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/ukraine\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3469","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/ukraine\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/ukraine\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/ukraine\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/58"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/ukraine\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3469"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/ukraine\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3469\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5222,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/ukraine\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3469\/revisions\/5222"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/ukraine\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/ukraine\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3469"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/ukraine\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3469"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/ukraine\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3469"},{"taxonomy":"p4-page-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/ukraine\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/p4-page-type?post=3469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}