Can the team work undisturbed?

Ukraine accuses Russia of creating significant dangers through “irresponsible and unprofessional action” in the vicinity of the damaged Chernobyl nuclear reactor. This jeopardizes nuclear security not only in Ukraine, but also “for hundreds of millions of Europeans”, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk wrote on social media. She reiterated Kiev’s call for the demilitarization of the exclusion zone established around the nuclear power plant after the 1986 nuclear disaster. In the early days of the war, Russian troops occupied the Chernobyl site, which was on its way to its advance towards to Kiev. The last reactor has been closed for years, but a used fuel storage facility is still in operation.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly expressed its concerns that nuclear facility personnel would not be able to act independently and unhindered. The change in Chernobyl, which was taken aback by the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24 and the occupation of the site, managed to change in just under a month. But the new team has also been in action for more than a week without interruption, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said over the weekend. The IAEA is concerned that overworked and stressed employees could be error-prone.

Data connection closed

In addition to the concern, Russian troops bombed last week and then occupied the village of Slavutych, where many of Chernobyl’s workers live. The village was built in 1986 outside the restricted area for nuclear power plant personnel. The situation there is being closely monitored, Grossi said. The IAEA chief suggested a meeting with Russian and Ukrainian officials to reach an agreement on the safety of nuclear facilities during hostilities, but so far nothing has happened.

Another IAEA concern is that surveillance cameras at Chernobyl are no longer transmitting data. This ensures that nuclear material is not diverted undeclared. While the external power supply to Chernobyl is working again, the data connection remains off. On the other hand, the IAEA reacted very cautiously to reports of forest fires in the region and stated that there are currently no nuclear risks. Reports of renewed forest fires were described by Ukrainian authorities as false. Satellite images currently do not show such heat sources, Ukraine’s Civil Protection Service said on Monday.

A nuclear research facility in Kharkiv was also the target of several artillery fire over the weekend. That is why a failed rocket cannot be disposed of near the plant, the IAEA said, citing the Ukrainian regulatory authority. But there is only a small amount of nuclear material with low radiation.