UN Condemns Russia, Urges 'Urgent Withdrawal' Of Forces From Ukrainian Nuclear Plant

A photo from 2023 of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, Europe's largest.

The UN General Assembly on July 11 condemned "Moscow's failure to implement" resolutions concerning the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant by the assembly and by the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency. It demanded that Russia "urgently withdraw its military and other unauthorized personnel" from the facility and "immediately return the plant to the full control of Ukraine’s competent authorities to ensure its safety and security." In a press statement, the UN said the vote was 99 in favor of the resolution, nine against, and 60 abstentions. The text also "demanded that the Russian Federation immediately cease its aggression against Ukraine and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from Ukraine’s territory within its internationally recognized borders."