Czech foreign minister Lipavský praises IAEA for monitoring Zaporizhzhia NPP, says situation is risky

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský praised the efforts of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to monitor the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant at a nuclear safety conference in Vienna. He said its seizure by Russia poses a high risk. In a speech seen by the Czech News Agency (ČTK), he also condemned the fact that agency staff do not have full access to the plant and its surroundings.

„The seizure of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant poses a high risk to nuclear and radiation safety, not only in Ukraine. Czechia supports the IAEA’s efforts in this area and co-chairs the Peace Plan working group on radiation and nuclear safety,“ the ministry said on X.

„There are also a number of serious nuclear safety threats at Ukraine’s other three nuclear power plants, including the possibility of a drone or cyberattack,“ the minister said in his speech.

Since the start of its invasion in February 2022, Russia has destroyed several Ukrainian power plants. It seized the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest of its kind in Europe, in the early days of the war. In March this year, the Zmiiv thermal power plant, one of the largest in the Kharkiv region, was destroyed. In April, the Trypilska thermal power plant, located about 45 kilometres south of Kyiv, was destroyed.

In his speech, the Czech foreign minister also addressed broader challenges in the energy sector, saying the importance of nuclear energy is growing rapidly. „Czechia sees this as a huge opportunity and a path towards clean energy, addressing climate change and achieving sustainable development for all,“ he noted.

He also spoke about the need to strengthen nuclear security. „The introduction of new technologies must be accompanied by effective nuclear security. In this context, we are already seeing increased demand for resources. The availability of qualified personnel is a particular challenge for the nuclear security regime,“ Lipavský added.

On the sidelines of the conference, he also met with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan, with whom he discussed not only nuclear energy but also deepening cooperation with the European Union and the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In April, Lipavský held talks in Prague with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov. He said at the time that Czechia considers mutual recognition of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of both countries a matter of principle, and that he regards Armenia’s agreement to return four strategically located villages to Azerbaijan as a breakthrough.