Russia jeopardizes nuclear safety and IAEA monitoring work – European Union

This was stated in a statement of the EU delegation at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting on nuclear safety, posted on the website of the European External Action Service, Ukrinform’s correspondent reports.

“The EU and its Member States remain deeply concerned over the nuclear safety and security risks caused by Russia’s illegal war of aggression, its seizure of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and the intense military activities in the vicinity of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants,” the statement reads.

The European Union emphasized that Russia’s actions “seriously endanger nuclear safety and the IAEA’s rotations and monitoring work”.

The EU continues to support key IAEA missions in Ukraine and underscores the importance of adhering to the seven indispensable pillars set out by the Agency’s Director General to ensure nuclear safety during armed conflict.

“We call on the Secretariat to provide an update on its work on reviewing challenges related to nuclear safety and security in armed conflicts,” the delegation stated, recalling that this was required by the nuclear safety resolution adopted by the IAEA General Conference last year.

The EU delegation added that the issue of nuclear safety in Ukraine would be thoroughly considered.

It was reported that Ukraine, as well as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, and Moldova, joined the statement.

As reported, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, told the Board of Governors that the safety situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP remains unstable, as six of the seven nuclear safety pillars have been compromised. The water level in the cooling pond has dropped to 13.4 meters.

According to him, only one external power transmission line remains available at the plant, which creates serious safety risks. All six reactors at the station are in cold shutdown, and under current conditions, none of them can be safely restarted, Grossi added.

The seven indispensable components of nuclear and physical safety mentioned in the EU statement include the following:

• Maintaining the physical integrity of facilities, whether reactors, spent fuel pools, or radioactive waste storage sites;
• Ensuring the operability of all nuclear and physical safety systems and related equipment at all times;
• Allowing operational staff to carry out their nuclear and physical safety duties and make decisions without undue pressure;
• Securing a reliable external power supply from the grid for all nuclear facilities;
• Guaranteeing an uninterrupted logistical supply chain to nuclear facilities and two-way transport;
• Maintaining radiation monitoring systems on-site and off-site, as well as emergency preparedness and response measures;
• Ensuring reliable communication channels with the regulatory authority and other stakeholders.

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