MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. The Kiev government has so far failed to articulate any coherent stance about creating a protection zone around the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the Vienna-based international organizations Mikhail Ulyanov has told TASS in an interview.
He reiterated that IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi handed over his draft project about creating "a zone of nuclear safety and security" at the plant, and Russia responded to it in a prompt manner. According to the official, consultations on the issue still continue, but the process has been "very slow."
"Back on October 11, consultations of Russia’s interdepartmental delegation and the agency’s leadership were held in St. Petersburg. We put forward concrete proposals on adjusting the text. The Ukrainians have so far failed to articulate any coherent stance," the Russian diplomat added.
In his words, Ukrainian nuclear power operator Energoatom has been sending "weird signals" in the public space.
"For example, on December 8, it has called for creating a security zone inside and around the station, ‘with its full demilitarization and de-occupation.’ As you understand, it’s hard to take such statements seriously," the Russian envoy to Vienna said. "At the same time, Ukraine has not spoken out against Grossi’s idea, and its officials continue consultations with the agency’s top management."
With the output of 6 GW, the Zaporozhye NPP in the city of Energodar is Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. Russian forces took control of the plant in March 2022 and ever since, the Ukrainian army has been periodically shelling its territory, as well as Energodar’s residential quarters with the use of drones, heavy artillery and multiple rocket launchers.
Grossi has repeatedly called for the establishment of a security zone around the Zaporozhye NPP. In September, the IAEA Board of Governors passed a resolution calling on Russia to withdraw its forces from the plant’s territory. On December 2, the official told an international conference in Rome that an agreement on the issue may be reached soon. CEO of Russia’s Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation Alexey Likhachev said earlier that the safety model that was being discussed with Grossi rules out any kind of shelling of the power plant.