The technical follow-up mission – the IAEA’s second to the Chernobyl site in the past six weeks – was part of efforts to help ensure nuclear safety and security in Ukraine during the current military conflict. Ukraine, which also has four operating nuclear power plants with a total of 15 reactors, has requested the IAEA’s technical assistance for this purpose.
During their three-day stay at the Chernobyl plant and the Exclusion Zone, a team of seven IAEA experts provided support to their Ukrainian counterparts on radiation protection, safety of waste management and nuclear security. In addition, IAEA safeguards staff conducted verification activities that had been planned as part of the annual implementation plan established by the IAEA.
During the mission, the team: visited the main facilities for the management of radioactive waste and used fuel to discuss and assess their status with staff there and to identify areas for future support; provided training on the radiation monitoring equipment delivered by the IAEA in April, verified the radiation protection programme in all facilities at the Chernobyl plant and the Exclusion Zone and identified actions for further enhancements; observed the physical protection arrangements at nuclear, used fuel, waste and radioactive material facilities located in the same area and identified potential areas of cooperation; provided support on emergency preparedness and response and discussed the additional assistance that could be provided through the IAEA Response and Assistance Network mechanism; and discussed the re-establishment of the automated radiation monitoring system and received information on the forthcoming connection of this system with the IAEA International Radiation Monitoring Information System.
The team also: verified declared nuclear material and activities at facilities selected by the IAEA; checked the functioning of the remote safeguards data transmission from Chernobyl to IAEA headquarters which was re-established at the end of April after two months of interruption; and upgraded the installed remote safeguards data transmission systems.
