Chair of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU) Oleh Korikov confirmed the arrival of an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission to all three nuclear power plants in Ukraine-controlled territory in the near future.
“The IAEA agreed to organize a mission to all our other nuclear power plants at the invitation of Ukraine. The key goal is to monitor nuclear safety in military conditions. The IAEA will witness in real time what happens when all power units are turned off by emergency protection, as happened on November 23 in Russian shelling,” he said during a briefing at the Media Center in Kyiv on Tuesday.
“In the near future, the mission will arrive and will be more widely represented at all nuclear power plants,” Korikov said.
He also said the IAEA continues negotiations with Russia on the creation of a security zone initiated by the agency around the seized Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, based on the Ukrainian position of complete demilitarization and de-occupation of the plant.
“Negotiations are being held, meetings are taking place in Moscow. We proceed from the proposal that the security zone should be created on the terms of complete demilitarization, de-occupation of ZNPP, including the town of Energodar, and returning it under the control of the Ukrainian authorities. We make our proposals to Grossi [IAEA Head Rafael Grossi] was handed over, and in his negotiations he proceeds from the Ukrainian position,” the SNRIU’s chair said.
At the same time, he said as a result of the occupation of Zaporizhia NPP by the Russians, “there has been a significant degradation of nuclear and radiation safety at Zaporizhia NPP,” and the presence of the Russian military has nothing to do with these concepts.
“In fact, the invaders have turned ZNPP into a military and repair base where their equipment is being repaired. These actions are unacceptable,” Korikov said, adding that these actions at ZNPP are taking place in frontline of the permanent IAEA mission, and even it cannot decisively influence the behavior of the invaders.
Korikov said ZNPP is connected to the energy system of Ukraine and consumes Ukrainian electricity, but, despite the ability to issue a resource, its launch is blocked by the occupiers.
He also said as a result of the creation by the Russian invaders of dangerous working conditions at ZNPP, the number of its personnel has significantly decreased, but enough to ensure safe operation under such conditions.
The Russians, including representatives of Rosatom, who are at the plant, according to the SNRIU’s chair, will fall under personal sanctions, their list is established by the relevant services of Ukraine.
He also said Ukraine is doing everything possible to ensure that international sanctions are applied to the state-owned concern Rosatom.
“We are also working towards sanctions on international projects of Rosatom, on Rosatom itself and on the regulatory agency. It is difficult to predict what the tenth package of sanctions will represent, but we are actively doing the relevant work,” the nuclear regulator’s head said.
Korikov said that eight out of nine power units that are located in the territory controlled by Ukraine are currently operating in the energy system, one is under scheduled repairs. According to him, nuclear power plants provide a little more than half of electricity consumption.
“All possible nuclear capacities are used to the maximum,” the SNRIU’s chair said.
