3rd STATEMENT
by Black Sea Women in Nuclear Network (BSWN) on ongoing regional and global implications of nuclear security and safety risks
created by Russia’ military aggression against Ukraine and call for strong international and regional response to the severe human rights violations against ZNPP employees by Russian aggressors and occupiers
The BSWN has condemned Russia’s unjustified military aggression against the sovereign state of Ukraine since the beginning of the war. In our previous two statements the network members expressed their deepest concerns regarding the emerging nuclear safety and security risks due to Russia’s unlawful acts against Ukraine’s civilian nuclear facilities, which threaten the entire region with major radiological accident. Russia continues to violate all standards of international law and the nuclear nonproliferation regime.
But in this statement we want to express our deepest appreciation and respect to those heroes, thousands of employees of ZNPP and citizens of Energodar who continue working and full filling their everyday duties for keeping ZNPP safe and working on the expense of tremendous stress, pressure, inhuman and degrading treatment, torture and bullying from Russian occupiers of the Nuclear Plant.
The Wall Street Journal article ‘The Hole’: Gruesome Accounts of Russian Occupation Emerge From Ukrainian Nuclear Plant” reveals the stories of hero professional workers at ZNPP to international audience.
Russia cannot break the spirits of hero workers and their families.
We, the professional community of women and men from the Black Sea Region, express our support for Ukrainian nuclear professionals in this war and call for creating effective mechanists to protect them from discrimination, physical and psychological violence from Russian militaries.
We strongly condemn the severe human rights violations at ZNPP and call
international community to Investigate the crimes committed against ZNPP management and workers.
Human factor is essential element of nuclear security.
We call on Governments of Black Sea regional States to stand for cooperation in these hard times of ambiguity, vulnerability, and insecurity. Regional states need to take action to ensure the guarantees of protection for people working in severe working conditions at Ukraine civilian nuclear facilities.
We call on the international community to take all necessary measures to stop the war and make Russia accountable for all the crimes committed against Ukraine.
And again, we call on for urgent negotiations for withdrawing Russia’s military forces from the territory of Ukraine and continue protecting nuclear facilities from any sabotage and attack. As a first step, Russia should heed UN calls for the area around the power plant to be a demilitarized zone soon and stop human rights violation at nuclear facility.
We stand ready to lend our expertise, time, and support to ensure a safe, peaceful, and independent nuclear sector in Ukraine.