Dear representatives of the international community, governments, international organizations, and environmental institutions!
The Ukrainian Peace Council and the Council on Environmental Security of Ukraine express deep concern over an unprecedented act of aggression—the attack by a Russian unmanned aerial vehicle on the “Shelter” facility of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
Chornobyl is not only a symbol of the greatest man-made disaster of the 20th century but also a zone requiring special protection, as any disruption of its radiation balance could have catastrophic consequences for all of Europe and the world. Strikes on nuclear safety facilities constitute a gross violation of international humanitarian law and pose a threat to millions of people.
Moreover, the illegal occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant by Russian troops continues to pose a serious threat to global security. The transformation of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant into a military base, the threat of sabotage, constant shelling of surrounding areas, and restrictions on access for IAEA representatives are unacceptable. Any accident at the Zaporizhzhia NPP would have irreversible consequences for the entire continent.
These nuclear threats to Europe and the world have arisen as a result of the nearly three-year-long, bloody Russian-Ukrainian war. Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine has not only caused thousands of human casualties and destruction but has also jeopardized global environmental and nuclear security.
We call on:
The United Nations, the IAEA, and international organizations to immediately respond to acts of nuclear terrorism targeting the Chornobyl and Zaporizhzhia NPPs and take all possible measures to protect them.
World leaders and diplomatic missions to strongly condemn these actions and intensify pressure on the aggressor to compel a complete withdrawal of its troops from all nuclear facilities in Ukraine.
Environmental organizations and scientific institutions to unite efforts to monitor the situation in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone and at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, as well as to ensure international oversight of these critically important sites.
The elimination of these threats is possible only through the achievement of a stable and comprehensive peace in Europe. Peace is not merely the cessation of hostilities but also the restoration of Ukraine’s sovereignty, the provision of international security guarantees, and the prevention of future aggression. Without peace in Ukraine, there can be no security in Europe or the world.
Nuclear security knows no borders. The world must not remain silent in the face of nuclear terrorism!
Ukrainian Peace Council
Council on Environmental Security of Ukraine
Kyiv, Ukraine, February 15, 2025