IAEA Board of Governors
Agenda item 8: Nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine
6 March 2025
Statement by H.E Ambassador Ian Biggs, Governor and Resident Representative of Australia to the IAEA
Chair,
Australia welcomes the Director General’s report on nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine. We align with the joint statement delivered by Canada.
The Director General’s report once again highlights the devastating impact of Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion on Ukraine, and the precarious situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) with six of the seven pillars being fully or partially compromised.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, now in its fourth year, is a gross violation of international law.
We are gravely concerned by recent missile and drone strikes close to Ukraine’s nuclear power plants and the drone strike on 14 February 2025 on the New Safe Confinement shelter that protects the remains of the Chornobyl reactor.
Russia’s intentional targeting of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure increases the risk of a nuclear accident. In line with the resolution passed by this Board in December, we emphasise that attacks targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure critical for the off-site power supply of nuclear power plants represent a direct threat to nuclear safety and security. This is why Australia has contributed $30 million to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund.
We reiterate that the most effective protection of Ukraine’s nuclear infrastructure involves an immediate and complete withdrawal of all Russian military and unauthorised personnel from all of Ukraine and the return of all nuclear facilities to Ukrainian control.
Chair,
We commend the Director General for his dedicated focus on Ukraine, including his 11th mission to Ukraine in February. The IAEA’s presence has been critical in helping to stabilise the situation at Ukraine’s ZNPP and in providing an independent, impartial source of reporting to the international community. We note the expansion of the IAEA’s assistance programme to assess the stability of critical energy infrastructure for the safe operation of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants and commend the IAEA staff for their professionalism.
We acknowledge the challenging conditions that IAEA and Ukrainian staff continue to operate under at the ZNPP, and condemn the drone strike on an official, clearly marked IAEA vehicle on 10 December 2024. We deeply regret that the Agency’s ability to conduct safe rotations of the ISAMZ team has been disrupted and that access by the IAEA has been impeded, compromising the Agency’s ability to fully assess whether the IAEA’s five concrete principles are being observed. We reiterate our call for full and transparent cooperation by Russia with Agency teams.
Chair,
It has been more than three years since Russia took control of the ZNPP. Australia continues to call on Russia to cease all actions against or at the ZNPP and other Ukrainian nuclear facilities. We affirm our full support for the General Conference and Board resolutions on Ukraine and condemn Russia’s failure to comply with these resolutions.
Finally, Chair, Australia reaffirms its unequivocal condemnation of Russia’s nuclear posturing and rhetoric. Russia’s threat of nuclear weapons use, let alone any use of nuclear weapons, is unacceptable and a serious threat to international peace and security.
With these comments, we note and commend the Director General’s report and request it be made public.