During the general debate of the First Committee of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Andrii Melnyk, delivered a joint statement on russia’s violations of international law and the situation at the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on behalf of 47 countries and the European Union.
The document emphasizes that the seizure and occupation of the ZNPP, its militarization, and repeated large-scale attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have significantly increased nuclear safety and security risks. The potential consequences of these actions could extend far beyond Ukraine’s borders.
The signatories demand that russia immediately withdraw its military personnel and other unauthorized individuals from the ZNPP and return the plant to the full control of Ukraine’s competent authorities. The statement also stresses that any attempts to restart ZNPP’s reactors while the plant remains under russian occupation are unacceptable.
The countries also called for the immediate release of all Ukrainian ZNPP employees arbitrarily detained by russia and for increased pressure on moscow to end its war of aggression against Ukraine and restore a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.
