(ANSA) – ROME, APRIL 20 – Direct communications between the International Atomic Energy Agency (Aiea) and the Ukrainian Chernobyl nuclear power plant were restored last night. This was announced in a statement by the IAEA director general, Rafael Mariano Grossi.
“Grossi – reads the note – welcomed the restoration of telephone communication between the State Inspectorate for Nuclear Regulation of Ukraine (Snriu) and the Chornobyl power plant. He said it was another important step in the process of resumption of regulatory control of Ukraine on the site of the 1986 accident, where various radioactive waste management facilities are now located. ” Russian forces had seized the nuclear power plant on February 24 for five weeks, before retreating on March 31.
On March 10, Ukraine informed the IAEA that it had lost contact with the site. The regulator had continued to receive information on the situation in Chornobyl through the external management of the plant. “This was clearly not a sustainable situation and it is great news that the regulator can now contact the site directly when needed,” said Grossi.
Grossi plans to lead an AIEA expert mission to Ukraine’s Chornobyl nuclear power plant later this month to conduct nuclear and radiological safety assessments, provide vital equipment, and repair AIEA’s remote safeguards monitoring systems. In relation to the safeguards, the IAEA stated that it is not yet receiving remote data transmission from its monitoring systems installed at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, but that such data is being transferred to the agency’s headquarters from the other power plants in Ukraine. The security systems remain operational at the four Ukrainian power plants and continue to have energy available even from off-site, Kiev told the IAEA. (HANDLE).
Source: Ansa
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