The OEIA will inspect four nuclear power plants at the request of Ukraine

November 15 () –

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will inspect four nuclear sites at the request of the Government of Ukraine, among which is the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, in order to verify their good condition.

According to the agreement signed by the Ukrainian Executive and the IAEA, the agency will send missions to carry out safeguards activities and will have just completed verification activities on the ground following Russian complaints about activities at Ukrainian nuclear power plants, according to a statement from the Ukrainian government. own IAEA.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has said he has been doing “everything possible” to prevent a nuclear accident with potentially serious consequences for public health and the environment since the start of the war in Ukraine.

“We have delivered nuclear protection and safety equipment, carried out impartial assessments of the situation and provided advice and technical knowledge. We are doing this important work in close cooperation with the Ukrainian authorities and at their request,” Grossi detailed, according to the IAEA letter. .

“Immediately after receiving this latest request from Ukraine, we developed concrete proposals and started preparing the technical and logistical details and are now ready to deploy these new missions soon. As the world focuses on the precarious nuclear safety and security situation in the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, we must not forget the other nuclear facilities located in a country at war,” he added.

At the latter plant, the six reactors continue to receive the external electricity they need for cooling and other essential nuclear safety and security functions from the remaining 750 kilovolt (kV) external power line.

However, according to the IAEA, “experience shows that this can change at any time” and that it takes a “dangerous turn”, which is why Grossi has shown his willingness to agree and implement a security protection zone and nuclear protection. around the plant “as soon as possible”.

Four of the plant’s reactors remain in a cold shutdown, while the other two are in a hot shutdown to provide steam for the plant and also heating for the people who live in Energodar, many of them plant workers and their families. .