You're reading: Ukraine invites IAEA to make Russia bear responsibility for nuclear facilities in occupied Crimea

Ukraine has sent the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) amendments to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, under which Russia must bear responsibility for nuclear facilities located in the occupied territory of Crimea, Ukrainian State Inspectorate for Nuclear Regulation head Serhiy Bozhko said.

“We have prepared corresponding amendments to the Convention on the Physical Protection and basic documents relating to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, which give a clear understanding of what a country which has found itself in a situation, like Ukraine has with Russia, should do,” he told reporters.

“The amendments are very simple, they state that the occupant country bears full responsibility for what happens at a [nuclear] facility. However, we, as the owner country of this nuclear facility, are responsible for the physical protection and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons,” Bozhko said.

Russia was attempting to formalize its ownership of nuclear facilities in Crimea, but none of the IAEA member countries has confirmed that, Bozhko said.

During individual meetings with Ukrainian delegates, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano confirmed the country’s fulfillment of its obligations regarding the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons in full, despite the fact that inspectors from Ukraine’s State Inspectorate for Nuclear Regulation had had no access to the Crimean nuclear facilities.