The EU condemned the transfer of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant under the control of Russia

BRUSSELS, 8 Oct – PRIME. The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, condemned on Saturday the transfer of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant to Russian control, but noted that Brussels does not recognize such a decision.

“The EU strongly condemns and does not recognize Russia’s illegal annexation of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions of Ukraine. Therefore, the decree to seize the nuclear power plant is illegal and legally invalid,” he said.

According to Borrell, the Zaporizhzhya NPP should be returned to Ukraine, and for its safety, an increased presence of IAEA representatives at the facility is necessary.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed to transfer the Zaporizhzhya NPP under the control of Russia. The decree stating that the specified nuclear power plant becomes the property of the Russian Federation was signed on October 5. All employees of Zaporozhye NPP will soon be employed by the new Russian company JSC “Operating Organization of Zaporizhzhya NPP”. In turn, the US State Department and the IAEA said they consider the nuclear power plant a Ukrainian facility.