Russia’s seizure of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant raises the risk of a nuclear incident and its attacks on infrastructure must halt, a UK diplomat has warned the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
UK delegation to the OSCE deputy head Deirdre Brown raised the UK Government’s concerns about the plant during the OSCE Permanent Council meeting in Vienna on 11 April.
The Zaporizhzhia plant is Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, and it became the first operating civil nuclear power plant to come under armed attack on 4 March 2022, soon after the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russia has made targeting Ukraine’s civilian power infrastructure a key part of its military strategy in its invasion. This has been demonstrated by the devastating destruction of the Nova Kakhovka hydroelectric dam.
Russia initially invaded Ukraine in 2014 when it annexed Crimea, but the more recent full scale invasion, which Putin euphemistically called a “special military operation”, started on 24 February 2022.
Brown said: “Energy infrastructure has been targeted and extensively damaged, leaving millions of civilians without power and water.
“The widespread impact of these attacks could last for months. The UK calls on Russia to cease its bombardment of Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
“As a direct result of these aerial strikes, dozens of civilians have been injured or killed, including children.
“Russia also continues to endanger lives across the region through its illegal seizure of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
“Everything possible must be done to reduce the risk of a nuclear incident. Ultimately, Russia must return full control of the plant to the rightful sovereign owner to ensure safe and secure operation.”
Representatives of the nuclear industry reassured NCE that the nuclear plant has “very robust and layered protections which has meant it has fared extremely well given the conditions” and said nuclear plants more generally “have comprehensive security and safety plans”.
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