Grossi claims that the IAEA rotation at ZNPP is carried out through Russian-controlled territory for security reasons

This is how Grossi answered a question from Ukrinform’s own correspondent at a press conference held on the sidelines of the meeting of the Board of Governors in Vienna on Monday.

“Your last comment reminds me of the topics we discussed back in 2022, when some believed that the agency's involvement in this matter could serve as a legitimization of military actions, occupation, and so on. And I believe that we, Ukraine and the agency, have proven together that this is absolutely not the case,” Grossi said, answering a question about whether Ukraine was not informed about the planned rotation through the occupied territory and whether such actions legitimize Russia's attempts to occupy the Zaporizhzhya NPP.

Read also: Sibikha discusses nuclear safety with IAEA director general

According to Grossi, on the contrary, the constant presence of agency experts at the Zaporizhzhya NPP and other sites in Ukraine, as well as cooperation in a number of other areas, “have proven to be truly invaluable for nuclear safety, reliability and, of course, recovery.”

“The situation we find ourselves in now is an emergency caused by the impossibility of carrying out the rotation in a safe manner,” he said.

The IAEA Director General stressed that the only reason he had decided on such an “extraordinary exception” for the rotation of the agency’s experts, who have been unable to leave the plant since December due to security concerns, other than through Ukrainian government-controlled territory, was his concern and responsibility for the safety of these experts. “There were several cases that led me to the conclusion that I could not risk the lives of my experts. Any other important considerations, in my view, were irrelevant,” he added.

Read also: IAEA carries out personnel rotation at Zaporizhzhya NPP through Russian-occupied territory — Ukraine sent a note of protest

Grossi also noted his contacts with the Ukrainian leadership and assured that the IAEA did not act unilaterally in this matter.

“I have been in touch. I have discussed this with President Zelensky, with Foreign Minister Sibikha. So it is not true that we are acting unilaterally,” Grossi stressed in response to a question.

When asked about the rotation route during a briefing, the IAEA Director General indicated that it would be “exclusively through Russian territory.”

“The rotation was carried out exclusively through Russian territory. I cannot provide any more information on this matter for security reasons,” he added.

As reported by Ukrinform, the day before, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry condemned the violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity by a number of IAEA employees as a result of Russian pressure and systematic attempts to impose illegal and contradictory mechanisms of influence on international organizations in the temporarily occupied territories.

It was noted that the situation at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya NPP is a clear example of such Russian pressure. Russia has effectively forced IAEA personnel to remain at the Zaporizhzhya NPP without rotation for 80 days, which significantly exceeds the established period, keeping people under unprecedented psychological stress and in a high-risk zone.

Ukraine has repeatedly offered a safe and legal rotation route through territory under its control. However, Moscow has regularly refused to provide the IAEA with security guarantees under these conditions. The Kremlin has deliberately blocked the safe passage of IAEA experts through territory under its control, forcing the Agency to agree to Russia’s conditions.

Ukraine sent a note of protest to the IAEA leadership, condemning the violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity and warning the agency against repeating such actions in the future. It was noted that the issue of unprecedented pressure from the Russian Federation will be raised at a meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also emphasized that the activities of international organizations on the territory of Ukraine, especially in the context of the ongoing aggressive war, must be carried out exclusively in accordance with the legislation of Ukraine, international law and UN principles.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's comment came after it became known that the IAEA had deployed its personnel to the territory of the Zaporizhzhya NPP through Russian-occupied territory without Ukraine's consent.