Foreign Ministry on Grossi's meeting with Putin: Russia actually used the IAEA leadership

Ukraine is concerned that Russia used the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi for propaganda purposes. Thus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to Grossi's meeting with the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

The agency views the events organized by the aggressor state on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of its nuclear industry as another political farce aimed at manipulating the information space to whitewash its own crimes in the field of nuclear and radiation safety.

The Foreign Ministry is convinced that against the backdrop of the illegal occupation Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant holding such "celebrations" looks particularly hypocritical.

"Of particular concern is the use of the IAEA head's visit to Russia in the context of this event – Russia has actually used the agency's leadership for its propaganda purposes," the statement said.

Ukraine considers the IAEA solely as an instrument for preventing nuclear risks and expects strict adherence to the principles of objectivity, impartiality and independence.

The agency added that the state-owned Rosatom Corporation, which organized the "celebrations," is part of Russia's military-industrial complex and an instrument of the occupation of Ukrainian nuclear facilities, including ZNPP. The occupiers' interference with the plant's operation poses a direct threat to nuclear safety both in Ukraine and abroad. Not only the basic principles of the IAEA are violated, but also the fundamental norms of international humanitarian law, they emphasized.

The MFA mentioned the investigation by the human rights organization Truth Hounds, Seizing Power, which documents Rosatom's involvement in the occupation management of the ZNPP site, as well as systematic torture, torture and persecution of civilians, including plant employees.

Ukraine demands that Rosatom immediately cease any interference with ZNPP operations, release illegally detained workers, and eliminate any pressure on staff. Kyiv highly appreciates the IAEA's technical presence at Ukrainian sites, including ZNPP, and will continue to cooperate with the agency within its mandate.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs considers unacceptable attempts to legitimize the Russian occupation of Ukrainian facilities through contacts between international institutions and Russian structures.

Ukraine called on its partners to isolate Rosatom from international nuclear energy platforms, terminate cooperation projects, suspend new contracts, limit the supply of technology and dual-use goods, impose comprehensive sanctions against the corporation, its structures and management, and restrict imports of products that support its activities.

On the evening of September 25, Grossi reported on social network X that he met with the Russian dictator. According to him, the topic of discussion was nuclear energy, non-proliferation of nuclear technologies and challenges in the field of safety and security.

• On September 2, the Foreign Ministry stated that theft does not provide property rights, commenting on Putin's statement about the occupied ZNPP.
• September 23, ZAES was left without electricity supply. This is the tenth blackout since the beginning of the Russian occupation of the station.