The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven nations on Wednesday demanded that Russia return control of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and all other nuclear facilities within its borders to Kyiv to ensure their safe operation.
The G7 countries issued the demand Tuesday amid mounting fears over the safety of Europe's largest nuclear plant in southeastern Ukraine that has been occupied by Russian forces since early in the five-month war and besieged by fighting in the region.
"We demand that Russia immediately hand back full control to its rightful sovereign owner, Ukraine, of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant as well as all nuclear facilities within Ukraine's internationally recognized borders to ensure their safe and secure operations," they said in a statement.
The countries added that while under Russian control, Ukrainian staff operating the plant "must be able to carry out their duties without threats or pressures".
