IAEA Board of Governors
IAEA Board of Governors
IAEA Board of Governors
Vienna, 8-12 June 2026
Agenda item: Nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine
Statement by Denmark
Thank you Chair,
1.Denmark fully aligns itself with the EU statement as well
as the joint statement delivered by [Ukraine].
2.We thank the Director General for the IAEA’s very
important work in Ukraine, including the continuous
presence at all Ukrainian nuclear power plants, including
the ZNPP, the mediation of local ceasefire zones and the
Agency’s visits to electrical substations.
3.We also thank the Director General for his report. It
highlights the extremely precarious situation with regard
to nuclear safety in Ukraine: The Agency assesses that
some of the Seven Indispensable Pillars continue to be
compromised at all Ukraine’s five nuclear sites. And the
report also describes how the many Russian attacks
against Ukraine’s high-voltage transmission system
heightens the risks to the operating reactors.
Chair,
4.The alarming nuclear safety situation in Ukraine is not
least evident at the Zaporizhzhya NPP where the Russian
annexation, as well as militarisation of it, continue to
pose great risks to its nuclear safety and security.
According to the report, Russia continues to deny IAEA
full access to and full information about the ZNPP.
5. The plant has relied on a single off-site power line since
the main line lost connection on the 24th of March. In the
meantime, it has experienced a number of concerning
events, including complete losses of off-site power,
totalling now 18 times since Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Chair,
6.On the 26th of April, the international community, led by
Ukraine, marked the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl
disaster. There, we commemorated the victims as well
as the disastrous consequences for the environment.
7. It is essential to keep the Chornobyl disaster in our
memory. It must continue to serve as a stark reminder
to everyone to avoid such catastrophic events. Yet,
Russia, with its aggression against Ukraine, goes in the
opposite direction, bringing the risk of a nuclear disaster
in Ukraine to the highest level since 1986. The latest
example of this was the drone attack against the spent
fuel storage facility within the Chornobyl exclusion zone
just last Sunday, causing significant damage to the
building, including the IAEA safeguards office located
there.
Chair,
8.We are steadfast in our demands that Russia must
comply with international law and the calls of both this
Board and the General Conference. Russia must reverse
its invasion by fully withdrawing its forces, other
personnel and all military equipment from the ZNPP and
the entire territory of Ukraine. We, with the UN General
Assembly, wholly reject Russia’s claims of ownership of
the ZNPP.
9. In closing, I would like to underline my country’s full and
unwavering support for the independence, sovereignty
and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its
internationally recognised borders and for a just and
lasting peace.
Thank you, Chair