The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has stated that it no longer has access to data from not only the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), but also from the Zaporizhzhya NPP, which is also controlled by Russian troops, as reported in a statement by the agency.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi expressed concern about this development, as the agency does not have access to information on what is happening at the sites of large amounts of nuclear material.
The reason for the disruption in the transmission of safeguards data was not immediately clear. The IAEA continues to receive such data from other nuclear power plants in Ukraine.
Data transmission systems are installed in NPPs so that the IAEA can remotely monitor nuclear material and activities at stations, even when inspectors are not present. The IAEA monitors and certifies that countries are adhering to their commitment to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
The IAEA adds that eight of the country’s 15 nuclear reactors remain operating and the radiation levels at the sites are normal.
In connection with the events, the IAEA Director General is planning a visit to Antalya at the invitation of the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu to agree on the safety and security of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities.
Earlier, on 9 March, it was reported that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) unexpectedly lost connection with the monitoring systems of guarantees at the Chornobyl NPP captured by Russia