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Nuclear safety lessons learned from Ukraine: Insights from the occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

Nuclear safety lessons learned from Ukraine: Insights from the occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

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Russia’s military seizure of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) marks the first time in history that an active nuclear facility has been placed under occupation, posing severe transboundary risks to Europe. A critical enabler of this violation is Russia’s state corporation Rosatom, which has militarised the site and coerced personnel while continuing to maintain commercial ties within the European Union. This unprecedented situation raises urgent questions about corporate complicity, state responsibility and the need for stricter international accountability.

Date & Time: 8 Dec 2025, 14:00-15:00 (CET)

Format: Hybrid

Location: European Policy Centre Rue du Trône 14-16, 1000 Brussels

This Hybrid Policy Dialogue will examine the specific risks to EU member states arising from the ZNPP occupation and present key findings from a new report from Truth Hounds, a human rights organisation investigating international crimes. By bringing together legal and technical experts, the discussion will explore Rosatom’s role in these breaches, the implications for EU due diligence and the potential for imposing targeted sanctions against the corporation’s leadership and subsidiaries.

Speakers:

  • Ana Rita Lopes Ramos
    Head of Unit, Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety, Directorate-General for Energy, European Commission.

  • Denys Sultanhaliiev
     Senior Researcher,
     Truth Hounds. Co-author of the research “Seizing Power”. 

  • Jan Vande Putte
     Nuclear and radiation protection expert, Greenpeace Ukraine.

Moderator:

  • Amanda Paul
    Senior Policy Analyst and Deputy Head of Programme, European Policy Centre

This event welcomes the participation of EPC member organisations, EU institutions and media. For media enquiries, please contact media@epc.eu.

For any other queries regarding the event, please contact events@epc.eu.