IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, arrived in Kaliningrad yesterday for talks with senior Russian officials tomorrow morning. This follows his detailed previous discussions with senior Ukrainian government officials at South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) to review the concrete steps that need to be taken to immediately deliver urgent technical assistance for nuclear safety and security to Ukraine. Director General Grossi will return to the IAEA’s Vienna headquarters on Friday and hold a press conference later in the afternoon.

Ukraine yesterday informed the IAEA that the Russian forces that have been in control of Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) since 24 February had, in writing, transferred control of the NPP to Ukrainian personnel and moved two convoys of troops towards Belarus. A third convoy had also left the city of Slavutych, where many of the Chornobyl NPP staff live, and moved towards Belarus. In addition, Ukraine reported that there are still some Russian forces on the Chornobyl NPP site but presumed that those forces are preparing to leave.

Ukraine has not reported any staff rotation at the Chornobyl NPP since 20-21 March.

The IAEA is in close consultations with Ukrainian authorities on sending the Agency’s first assistance and support mission to the Chornobyl NPP in the next few days, Director General Grossi said.

The IAEA has not been able to confirm reports of Russian forces receiving high doses of radiation while being in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. The IAEA is seeking further information in order to provide an independent assessment of the situation.

Out of the country’s 15 operational reactors at four sites, the regulator said nine were operating, including two at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhya NPP, four at Rivne, one at Khmelnytskyy, and two at South Ukraine. The other reactors are shut down for regular maintenance, it added.

In relation to safeguards, the Agency said that the situation remained unchanged from that reported previously. The Agency was still not receiving remote data transmission from its monitoring systems installed at the Chornobyl NPP, but such data was being transferred to IAEA headquarters from the other NPPs in Ukraine.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – Press release

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Update 37 – 30 Mar 2022

The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, was at the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) today to meet senior Ukrainian government officials as well as staff, and to start the IAEA’s technical assistance for the safety and security of the country’s nuclear facilities.

The Director General held detailed discussions with Energy Minister German Galushchenko, head of the nuclear regulatory body Oleg Korikov, head of the operating company Energoatom, Petro Kotin, and the NPP Director Igor Polovych. They reviewed the concrete steps that need to be taken to immediately deliver that urgent assistance to Ukraine.

“It is vital to be on the ground in order to provide effective support to Ukraine in these extremely difficult times,” Director General Grossi said. “The IAEA’s on-site presence, where needed, will help prevent the danger of a nuclear accident that could have severe public health and environmental consequences in Ukraine and beyond,” he added.

In the update 37 regarding the nuclear safety and security situation, Ukraine said there had been no staff rotation at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) since 20-21 March. The site has been under the control of Russian forces since 24 February.

Russian military control of Ukraine nuclear plants cause for grave concern, nuclear energy agency warns

Out of the country’s 15 operational reactors at four sites, the regulator said nine were operating, including two at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhya NPP, four at Rivne (Unit 1 has been connected to the grid), one at Khmelnytskyy, and two at South Ukraine. The other reactors are shut down for regular maintenance, it added.

In relation to safeguards, the Agency said that the situation remained unchanged from that reported previously. The Agency was still not receiving remote data transmission from its monitoring systems installed at the Chornobyl NPP, but such data was being transferred to IAEA headquarters from the other NPPs in Ukraine.