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IAEA board passes resolution calling on Russia to withdraw from Zaporozhye NPP - agency

According to Reuters, the resolution was passed with 26 votes in favor

VIENNA, September 15. /TASS/. The International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation Board of Governors has passed a resolution calling on Russia to withdraw from the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing diplomatic sources.

According to the news agency, the resolution was passed with 26 votes in favor. Russia and China voted against the document and seven countries abstained from voting.

The resolution calls on Russia to "immediately cease all actions against, and at, the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant and any other nuclear facility in Ukraine". Besides, the IAEA board believes that the presence of Russian troops at the nuclear power plant significantly increases the risk of a nuclear accident. The resolution was drafted by Canada and Poland on behalf of Ukraine, which is not on the board.

According to Russia’s Permanent Mission to International Organizations in Vienna, the resolution failed to take into account regular shelling attacks on the Zaporozhye NPP, which "are the main issue in terms of nuclear security." "The reason is clear: the attacks are conducted by Ukraine whom Western countries strongly support and cover up for," the mission said in a statement.

An IAEA mission led by Director General Rafael Grossi visited the Zaporozhye nuclear plant in early September. The agency later released a report, calling for creating a safety zone around the facility. Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya emphasized that the move would not ensure the power plant’s security but would increase the risk of provocative actions by Ukrainian forces.