On Saturday 25 April, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, and the European Commission, called on Russia to immediately cease all attacks on Ukrainian nuclear facilities, a few days before the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster.
Underlining the dangers posed by Russia’s relentless attacks on the Chernobyl ‘New Safe Confinement’ and its illegal takeover and continued occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest nuclear facility, the Commission and the EU also called on Moscow to respect the seven pillars essential to nuclear safety and security in the event of armed conflict. “Russia will be held accountable for putting public safety in danger, must compensate for the damage caused, and return full control of the Zaporizhzhia plant to Ukraine”, warned the High Representative and the Commission in their joint statement.
They also called on the international community to maintain and strengthen its support for Ukraine, including efforts to repair the ‘New Safe Confinement’, and to collectively consider ways to better protect nuclear facilities, particularly in times of war.
The G7’s initiative to discuss repairs to the Chernobyl site at its next meeting in May is an important step, added the EU representatives. As part of its presidency of the G7, France announced on 26 April that it was mobilising to support and help raise funds for the reconstruction of the Chernobyl sarcophagus, damaged in a drone attack in February 2025. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)