The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expressed its strong protest against the illegal visit of Sergei Kirienko, the Deputy Head of the Administration of the President of Russia, to the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, specifically to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).

The ministry emphasised that Kirienko’s visit is another gross violation of international law and Ukrainian legislation. Thus, the Kremlin also demonstratively disregards the requirements of the three resolutions by the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which require Russia to immediately withdraw its troops and other staff from the ZNPP.

 "We count on the effective and efficient efforts of the IAEA Member States, as well as IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, in countering Russia's crimes against Ukraine's nuclear facilities and cynical disregard for current nuclear safety and security standards," the ministry states.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine also calls on the partner states and the EU institutions to accelerate the introduction of the sanctions against Russia, specifically to expand restrictions "against the Russian state corporation Rosatom, its affiliated companies and institutions, as well as other key factors of the Russian nuclear energy sector."

"We put particular emphasis on the urgency of working out the mechanisms for the complete termination of cooperation with the Russian Federation in the field of nuclear technologies, as well as the suspension of the rights and privileges of the Russian Federation within the IAEA.", the ministry added.

Earlier on Wednesday, 28 December, the Russian media reported that Kirienko visited the ZNPP and held talks with the illegal administration appointed by the Russian Rosatom.

The situation at the ZNPP became the centre of attention in early August when the Russian soldiers started to launch attacks on it. Russia has rejected the calls for demilitarisation of the power plant, claiming it has to "protect" it from provocations and continuing to blame Ukraine for the attacks.

After a short-term IAEA mission to the ZNPP, the delegation presented a report that confirmed that Russia had brought "military personnel, transport vehicles and military equipment to different parts of the power plant". Rafael Grossi, the IAEA Director General, has since been negotiating with Kyiv and Moscow about the creation of the safety zone around the power plant.