Russia's occupation of the Zaporizhia NPP, together with the denial of access to the industrial site of Ukrainian licensed personnel and the blocking of the automated radiation monitoring system at the facility, has led to the fact that Ukraine and the international nuclear community receive information about the state of nuclear and radiation safety at the site ZNPP with a significant delay.

As the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine reported on Friday, this was stated by the head of the inspectorate, Oleh Korikov, during a meeting with Deputy Director General of the IAEA, Director of the Department of Safety and Security, Lydie Evrard in Vienna.

"Due to the blocking of automated radiation monitoring system by the Russian invaders, today Ukraine is actually deprived of the opportunity to implement the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident," Korikov said.

According to him, the presence of a permanent IAEA monitoring mission at the Zaporizhia NPP is important for Ukraine and the international nuclear community, primarily in terms of informing about the state of nuclear and radiation safety, but agency specialists collect information at the plant virtually manually.

At the same time, the Russians continue to operate power unit No. 4 of the Zaporizhia NPP in hot shutdown, which contradicts the conditions of the licenses of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate, which clearly defines that all six power units of the Zaporizhia NPP should be operated only in cold shutdown.

As the head of the inspectorate said, this fact significantly increases the threat to nuclear and radiation safety at the station in the context of the loss of a reliable source of water supply after the Russians blew up the Kakhovka dam, the lack of stable power supply to the plant from the Ukrainian power system, the lack of proper maintenance and repairs of safety systems and equipment, as well as the presence of industrial site of unauthorized personnel.

As reported, on March 7, the IAEA Board of Governors overwhelmingly supported the draft resolution on nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine. The document, in particular, calls on Russia to urgently remove all unauthorized personnel from Zaporizhia NPP, including military personnel, and to immediately return the plant to the full control of Ukraine's competent authorities in accordance with the existing license issued to it by the S State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate.