IAEA teams in Ukraine reported hearing explosions and other indications of intense military activity overnight, further heightening concerns about the dangers to nuclear safety and security during the armed conflict, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.
Coinciding with reports of widespread attacks in the country's west, IAEA team members deployed at two of Ukraine's operating nuclear power plants (NPPs) - Khmelnytskyy and Rivne - heard drones as well as bursts of gunfire while in their accommodations in the cities of Netishyn and Varash, both located just a few kilometres from the two respective plants.
While there were no reports of any direct impact on nuclear safety and security at the two sites, Director General Grossi stressed that any military activity in the vicinity of an NPP could put it at risk and should cease immediately.
"I'm deeply concerned about last night's events. According to our teams on the ground, these were unusually large-scale military activities close to these two nuclear power plants, which should never happen. Once again, I reiterate my call for maximum military restraint near such facilities. A severe nuclear accident would be in no one's interest and must be avoided at all cost," he said.
Following up this morning, the IAEA team at the Khmelnytskyy NPP was informed that the plant overnight detected nine drones flying as close as three kilometres from the site, while the Rivne NPP said it observed 13 such unmanned aerial vehicles in its surveillance area. This comes a week after the team at Rivne previously heard military activity from their hotel, which until now has been rare.
Director General Grossi said such military activity in the proximity of NPPs posed a threat to the Seven Indispensable Pillars for ensuring nuclear safety and security during an armed conflict that he outlined in March 2022, especially Pillar 1 on the physical integrity of nuclear facilities and Pillar 3 regarding the safety of operating staff.
"The world's attention has - rightly - been very much focused on the extremely challenging situation at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) located on the frontline. However, the nuclear safety and security situation remains extremely vulnerable also at the four other sites where we have teams, as demonstrated all too clearly last night," he said.
Earlier this week, Director General Grossi briefed the IAEA Board of Governors on the nuclear safety and security situation in Ukraine, highlighting continued risks during the conflict.
"The safety situation at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant remains precarious, with six of the Seven Pillars compromised," he told the Board in his introductory statement on Monday. "Ongoing military activity, including attacks very close to the ZNPP site, are deeply concerning, adding stress and risk."
This was also underlined by the IAEA team members deployed at the ZNPP, reporting hearing military activities on most days over the past week. They also visited a reactor unit to observe safety-related maintenance activities as well as the 750 kilovolt (kV) switchyard. However, they were not granted access to the site's diesel fuel storage to confirm the diesel volumes available there, with the ZNPP citing security concerns.
At the Chornobyl site, Director General Grossi informed the Board that three of the Seven Pillars remain compromised following February's drone strike on the New Safe Confinement (NSC). Despite challenges caused by the military conflict, the Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs continue to operate, supplying electricity to the national grid.
"The ongoing degradation of the electrical grid, including its crucial substations, increases the risk to safe operation of the plants, compromising Pillar 4 of the Seven Pillars," the Director General said at the Board meeting.
He added: "Amid these challenges, the Agency continues to prioritize equipment delivery to support nuclear safety and security in Ukraine through contributions by 30 donor states and the EU."
In the 153rd delivery of equipment to Ukraine since the start of the armed conflict, the State Specialized Scientific and Industrial Enterprise "ECOCENTRE" received supplies essential for ensuring continued environmental monitoring in the Chornobyl NPP Exclusion Zone. The delivery was supported with funds from Sweden.
