The petition for the introduction of the Access Ban/Closing Zone over Ukraine was signed by Acting Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine Ruslan Strilets, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management Oleh Bondarenko and Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Energy and Housing Andrii Gerus.

While the Armed Forces of Ukraine are doing everything possible to protect Ukraine's critical infrastructure on earth, Ukraine's skies remain vulnerable.

The constant air and artillery shelling by the occupier poses a direct threat to nuclear facilities and installations in Ukraine. This threatens the security and well-being not only of Europe but of the world.

On March 9, 2022, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant was shut down. All Chornobyl NPP facilities were connected to emergency diesel generators. They have only 48 hours of diesel fuel left.

If power is not restored in time, control of nuclear and radiation safety at the plant will be lost. The world will face a new nuclear catastrophe:

• De-energization of the NSC will lead to a complete loss of control over the security system of the complex. Due to the cessation of NSC ventilation, there is a risk of radioactive dust contamination not only in Ukraine but also in Europe.
• Lack of energy supply for the spent nuclear fuel storage facility, which stores about 20,000 spent fuel assemblies from the reactor, is likely to cause a radiation accident.
• Damage to the radioactive waste management infrastructure as a result of the shelling will have catastrophic consequences and will most likely require full-fledged liquidation work.

The international community has repeatedly called on russia to end its armed aggression against Ukraine and to refrain from attacking nuclear facilities. After all, this could turn into a global radiation catastrophe. Unfortunately, all appeals were in vain. Moreover, amid ongoing air strikes, russia is spreading misinformation about a "dirty" nuclear bomb allegedly made in Ukraine, thus questioning the IAEA's nuclear control procedures.

The loss of communication with the radiation monitoring systems of Ukraine's nuclear facilities only worsens the situation.

To prevent a global radiation catastrophe, Ukraine urges the IAEA and NATO to close the skies over Ukraine.