15:18 26.05.2022

IAEA mission at Zaporizhia NPP unacceptable until plant site, Enerhodar de-occupied - Ukraine's nuclear regulator

2 min read
IAEA mission at Zaporizhia NPP unacceptable until plant site, Enerhodar de-occupied - Ukraine's nuclear regulator

The proposal of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to conduct a mission at the Zaporizhia NPP is unacceptable for Ukraine until the de-occupation of the ZNPP industrial site and the city of energy workers, Enerhodar, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine reported on its website on Thursday.

"The visit to the Zaporizhia NPP by the International Atomic Energy Agency is proposed to be postponed until the time when this territory is liberated from Russian invaders ... It [the mission] is absolutely unsafe in these conditions," the website says.

According to the regulator, at the present time there are Russian military, weapons, ammunition, military equipment at the plant site. Combat operations are underway near the facility, there are indications of Russian missiles flying directly over the nuclear power plant site.

"The situation in the city is extremely dangerous, there are cases of armed attacks by the Russian military on nuclear power plant personnel and representatives of the city's fire department," the inspectorate noted.

The regulator expressed hope that the liberation of Zaporizhia region from the Russian invaders will take place in the near future, after which the inspectorate will be able to return to the issue of planning an IAEA inspection at this facility.

"Currently, the IAEA also receives inventory change reports and material balance reports on nuclear material, information on inspection planning, non-intervention and work support, IAEA storage/surveillance facilities, including a remote monitoring system," the inspectorate informed.

According to the regulator, the continuity of the agency's knowledge of nuclear material at nuclear power plants is ensured, therefore, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate does not see an urgent need for a visit of safeguards inspectors to the occupied Zaporizhia NPP.

"However, at the same time, one cannot rule out the fact that the possibility of the use of nuclear material by Russian representatives for other purposes may become a threat to the entire world community," the nuclear regulatory authority says.

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