Category: Press Release

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Today’s scheduled rotation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team currently based at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) was cancelled as a result of intense military activity in the region, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said.

Despite written assurances received from both sides that the planned rotation could take place safely, the situation proved to be too dangerous for the teams to continue and the mission was aborted.

“I deeply regret today’s cancellation of the carefully prepared and agreed rotation of our staff, who are carrying out vital work in very challenging circumstances to help prevent a nuclear accident during the military conflict. It is completely unacceptable that the safety of our staff is jeopardised in this way,” Director General Grossi said.

“As a result of these extremely concerning events, I am in active consultation with both sides to guarantee the safety of our teams and to secure the continued presence of the IAEA at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant to enable our staff to continue their indispensable mission, helping to maintain nuclear safety and security,” he said.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and assessed damage to energy infrastructure vital for nuclear safety during his 11th visit to Ukraine since the military conflict began almost three years ago, as part of the ongoing efforts of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to help prevent a nuclear accident.

Before his meetings with President Zelensky and senior government officials in Kyiv on Tuesday, the Director General travelled to one of the substations on which Ukraine’s nuclear power plants (NPPs) depend to receive the off-site power needed to cool their reactors and for other essential nuclear safety and security functions and also to transmit the electricity they generate.

In recent months, Ukraine’s operating NPPs – Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine – have several times been forced to reduce power output because of widespread military activities affecting the electricity grid, in which the substations form a key part. Most recently, Ukraine informed the IAEA that the NPPs temporarily lowered their production on 1 February before returning to nominal power again.

“The reason that this is so important, from the perspective of the IAEA, is because of the influence of this situation on the safety of the nuclear power plants’ operation,” Director General Grossi told journalists at the substation, which is among several such facilities that were further damaged and degraded in recent months.

“This compromises the nuclear safety of a power plant, and it could eventually lead to an accident,” he said, noting the importance of a stable electricity grid for the nuclear safety and security of NPPs. “Having an external power supply is essential”.

IAEA expert teams have travelled to nine different electrical substations across the country seen as critical for nuclear safety and security, including the one visited by Director General Grossi on 4 February. Five of these substations have been visited twice during IAEA missions in September, October and December 2024, with the teams observing a continued degradation at several facilities.

During their visits to the substations, the IAEA teams collect information, assess the situation and provide technical advice.

“The situation is quite dire. We should not, I think, hide the fact. And as you can see behind us, this infrastructure has been degraded,” Director General Grossi said, standing next to a visibly damaged autotransformer.

Director General Grossi also noted the work conducted at this and other Ukrainian substations to help “preserve the stability of the grid”, for example by replacing damaged transformers.

In his meetings with President Zelensky, Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha and Minister of Energy German Galushchenko, Director General Grossi also discussed progress in Ukraine’s plans to purchase equipment from the interrupted Bulgarian NPP project in Belene for new reactor units being constructed at the Khmelnytskyy NPP. The IAEA is providing technical support and nuclear safety advice for this plan, Director General Grossi said.

At Ukraine’s NPPs over the past week, the IAEA teams based there have continued to report on indications of military activities near the sites, constant reminders of the potential risks to nuclear safety and security.

At Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya NPP, the team heard multiple instances of explosions on most days, some very close to the plant. There were no reports of damage to the site.

Following the disconnection of the ZNPP’s only available 750 kilovolt (kV) power line on 29 January, it was reconnected on 1 February. As a result, the site once again has two external power lines available – including one 330 kV – compared with a total of ten before the conflict.

The IAEA teams at the Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs and the Chornobyl site continued to report daily air raid alarms. The teams at Khmelnytskyy, South Ukraine and Chornobyl were also informed of drones being detected in locations near the sites.

At the South Ukraine NPP, a 750 kV power line that was disconnected on 29 January due to military activities remains unavailable.  

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi will travel to Ukraine next week for high-level meetings in Kyiv, in which the ongoing efforts of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to help prevent a nuclear accident during the military conflict will be discussed.

It will be the 11th mission to Ukraine led personally by the Director General since the conflict began almost three years ago, demonstrating the IAEA’s unwavering commitment to assist Ukraine in ensuring nuclear safety and security.

“As long as this horrific war continues, the IAEA will remain present and stay active, focused on doing everything we can to support nuclear safety and security in extremely challenging circumstances. As the overall situation is still precarious and fragile, our work there remains essential,” Director General Grossi said ahead of the visit to the Ukrainian capital on 4 February.

Over the past week, the IAEA teams present at Ukraine’s nuclear power plants (NPPs) have continued to report on the persistent risks the facilities are facing, with numerous indications of military activity near the sites.

At the Zaporizhzhya NPP (ZNPP), the IAEA team heard explosions daily coming from outside the plant, including multiple explosions at a near distance this morning. There was no damage reported to the plant itself.

Highlighting persistent challenges related to the availability of off-site power, the ZNPP’s sole remaining 750 kilovolt (kV) power line was disconnected on Wednesday due to the activation of a protection system, once again leaving the site dependent on its only remaining 330 kV back-up power line for the electricity it needs for reactor cooling and other essential nuclear safety functions.

The IAEA team has continued to conduct walkdowns across the ZNPP, including at the 750 kV open switchyard for the first time since late last year. The team members confirmed that maintenance on the voltage stabilizers had been completed and discussed future maintenance work with the ZNPP.

Last Friday, the team observed condensation – water drops on the floor and walls – within the containment building of reactor unit 5. The ZNPP confirmed it was aware of this issue, and the IAEA  team will look further into this in the coming days. The team assessed that the safety system rooms were in good order.

The IAEA teams at the other NPPs in Ukraine and the Chornobyl site have continued to report air raid alarms every day. At Khmelnytskyy, South Ukraine and Chornobyl, the teams were informed that drones had been detected at various distances from the sites. At the Khmelnytskyy NPP, the team had to shelter at the site on Tuesday morning.

At the South Ukraine NPP, the team was informed that one of the plant’s two 750 kV lines was disconnected on Wednesday morning due to unspecified military activities. As a result, one of its three reactors temporarily decreased power output before later the same day returning to nominal power.

The IAEA teams at Khmelnytskyy, Rivne, South Ukraine and Chornobyl all rotated over the past week. The team at the ZNPP will rotate next week.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts said that the operator of the Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in the Russian Federation has shown a commitment to enhancing operational safety.

Requested by the Government of the Russian Federation, the Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) mission ran from 13 to 30 January. The Team reviewed operational safety in Units 4 and 6 of the Novovoronezh NPP. An OSART mission was previously completed for Unit 5 in 2015.

OSART missions independently assess safety performance against the IAEA’s safety standards. The aim is to advance operational safety by proposing recommendations and, where appropriate, suggestions for improvement.

The Novovoronezh NPP is located in the Voronezh region, about 600 kilometres south of Moscow. The plant is owned by State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom (ROSATOM) and operated by Novovoronezh NPP, a subsidiary of the Rosenergoatom Joint Stock Company. The plant consists of seven units. Units 1, 2 and 3 are permanently shutdown and under decommissioning. Units 4, 5, 6 and 7 are operating. All units are pressurized water reactors (VVERs); Units 4 and 5 are VVER-V179 (417 MWe) and VVER-187 (1000 MWe), respectively. Units 6 and 7 are both VVER-392M (1180 MWe). Russia has 36 nuclear power reactors in operation, providing almost 20 per cent of the country’s total electricity production.

The team reviewed operating practices in Units 4 and 6 in the areas of leadership and management for safety, training and qualification, operations, maintenance, technical support, radiation protection, chemistry and accident management. The team was composed of seven experts from Belarus, Brazil, China, the Islamic Republic of Iran and South Africa, as well as four IAEA staff members and an observer from Russia.

To make its assessment, the team reviewed documents from the Novovoronezh plant on its main technical features, staff organization and responsibilities, and its operational programmes, procedures and performance prior to the mission. During the mission, the team observed the plant in operation, examined indicators of its performance and held in-depth discussions with plant personnel.

The OSART team observed that the staff at the plant are knowledgeable and professional and are committed to improving the operational safety and reliability of the plant.

The team identified one good practice to be shared with the nuclear industry globally:

• The main control room operators at Novovoronezh NPP have access to an electronic display for real-time indication of hydrogen ignition risk inside the containment building in the case of a severe accident.

The mission also provided some suggestions to further improve safety, including that the plant should consider enhancing:

• The consistent use of tools to minimize human error.
• The quality of maintenance activities.
• The arrangements for the monitoring and reporting of equipment condition and material deficiencies to ensure that any degradation is identified and reported.

“We are grateful to the international experts of the IAEA for conducting a comprehensive inspection at two power units of the Novovoronezh NPP – Unit 4 and Unit 6. This is a reputable team with over 282-years combined operational experience in the nuclear power industry. According to the mission results, the plant received suggestions to enhance further the operational safety performance of Units 4 and 6,” said Vladimir Povarov, Director of Novovoronezh NPP. “The mission confirmed that there was good alignment between the plant practices and the requirements in the IAEA standards.”

“Three of the four Novovoronezh NPP power units in operation have already successfully undertaken an IAEA international peer review. And we plan for power Unit 7 to be subjected to this procedure in the future,” Povarov added.

The team provided a draft report of the mission to the plant management. They will have the opportunity to make factual comments on the draft. These comments will be reviewed by the IAEA, and the final report will be submitted to the Government within three months.

Background

General information about OSART missions can be found on the IAEA website. An OSART mission is designed as a review of programmes and activities essential to operational safety. It is not a regulatory inspection, nor is it a design review or a substitute for an exhaustive assessment of the plant’s overall safety status.

Follow-up missions are standard components of the OSART programme and are typically conducted within two years of the initial mission.

The IAEA Safety Standards provide a robust framework of fundamental principles, requirements and guidance to ensure safety. They reflect an international consensus and serve as a global reference for protecting people and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team based at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has heard frequent explosions from outside the site over the past week, further underlining persistent dangers to nuclear safety and security during the military conflict, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.

The team reported hearing multiple instances of such military activity in recent days, at varying distances from the ZNPP. There was no damage reported to the plant itself. Although the sound of nearby military action has been a common occurrence ever since the IAEA established a continued presence at the ZNPP in September 2022, it has happened virtually daily in recent weeks.

“For almost three years now, we have been doing everything we can to help prevent a nuclear accident at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant and elsewhere in Ukraine. An accident has not occurred, but the situation is not improving. It is still precarious. I remain seriously concerned about nuclear safety and security in Ukraine, including at the Zaporizhzhya site. Our work is far from over,” Director General Grossi said.

As part of the ongoing work to monitor developments relevant for nuclear safety and security, the IAEA team has continued to conduct walkdowns across the site – including but not limited to the main and emergency control rooms of four reactor units and one turbine hall – and observed and discussed various safety-related maintenance activities with the plant.

The IAEA team was also informed that the ZNPP is procuring three new mobile diesel generators, similar to those received late last year. They are in addition to the site’s 20 fixed emergency diesel generators that are designed to provide on-site power if there is a total loss of off-site power.

Separately, the ZNPP said that four diesel steam generators were put into operation for ten days to provide the steam needed to process liquid radioactive waste. These generators were commissioned a year ago.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, air raid alarms were heard on several occasions at Ukraine’s three operating nuclear power plants (NPPs) – Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine – as well as at the Chornobyl site. At the Khmelnytskyy NPP, the IAEA team members have taken shelter at their residence three times in recent days due to such alerts.

At the Khmelnytskyy and South Ukraine NPPs and the Chornobyl site, the IAEA teams were informed of instances of drones being detected at distances ranging from 2 to 30 km from the sites.

Despite such military activities, Ukraine’s nine operating nuclear power reactors have been operating at full capacity this week, safely generating much-needed electricity during the cold winter months.

Separately, the Agency continued with deliveries under its comprehensive programme of nuclear safety and security assistance to Ukraine. Last week, the Chornobyl site received equipment to enhance its nuclear security system. The delivery, the 104th organised by the IAEA since the start of the armed conflict, was supported with funds from the United Kingdom.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Ukraine’s Rivne nuclear power plant had to temporarily reduce its power output Wednesday, amid heightened military activity near all of Ukraine’s nuclear power plant sites in recent days, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.

As part of their ongoing efforts to assess and report on nuclear safety and security, IAEA staff stationed at Ukraine’s operating nuclear power plants (NPPs)—Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs—as well as the Zaporizhzhia NPP (ZNPP) and the Chornobyl site—have reported significant military activity in recent days.

The Rivne NPP reduced the power of one unit Wednesday morning at the request of the grid operator, as a precautionary step due to an air attack. Later in the morning, the affected unit returned to nominal full capacity.

At the ZNPP, where the general situation remains precarious on the frontline of the conflict, the IAEA team reported multiple explosions occurring each day, including some at both near and medium distances from the plant.

In Chornobyl, the IAEA team was informed that drones have been spotted flying over the exclusion zone for the past two months. On 14 January, at least two drones flew close to the industrial area of the site. The team also reported hearing gunfire in the vicinity.

The team at Khmelnytskyy NPP was forced to shelter at their residence on 15 January due to air raid alarms. The team at the South Ukraine NPP was informed about recent drone sightings as close as 5 kilometres from the site.

“These ongoing threats continue to jeopardize the nuclear safety and security of nuclear power plants,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. “Our presence is crucial to monitoring and reporting on such activities. No one stands to gain from attacks on nuclear facilities, and indifference to these dangers is not an option.”

As the IAEA continues to analyse observations and information gathered during its recent missions to Ukraine’s electrical substations following attacks on the nation’s energy infrastructure, challenges with external power supplies persist at the ZNPP. The plant’s last remaining 330-kilovolt (kV) power line was disconnected for several hours on 12 January for maintenance. Meanwhile, the IAEA team was informed that repairs to the voltage stabilizer for the ZNPP’s 750-kV power line—previously disconnected due to the activation of a protection mechanism—were completed, and it was successfully reconnected on 31 December.

Additionally, the IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to ZNPP (ISAMZ) team was informed about the maintenance of several of the reactor safety systems.  Maintenance activities were carried out on safety trains in unit 2 and unit 6, and work has commenced on a safety train in unit 4 and on one of the emergency diesel generators (EDGs) that are designed to provide on-site power, in case of a total loss of off-site power.

Despite the challenges from nearby ongoing military activity, the IAEA team has continued to conduct regular walkdowns across the ZNPP site over the past week. They visited the main control room of each unit and made note of staffing levels, checked fuel levels in the EDGs at unit 6, and witnessed the change of the spent fuel pool cooling pump from one safety train to another in unit 6. Furthermore, the team visited the cooling pond area, including in the vicinity of both cooling towers – one of which sustained damage in August 2024 – an area where the team was previously denied access. ISAMZ also performed a walkdown of the turbine hall of unit 2 and was once again denied access to the western part of the hall. The team also visited the temporary on-site emergency crisis centre, where they discussed the draft emergency preparedness and response plan, as well as the planned emergency response exercise to be held in 2025.

Separately, the IAEA continues to deliver on its comprehensive assistance programme to support nuclear safety and security in Ukraine. On 2 January, the Agency marked its 100th delivery of equipment and supplies with a delivery of an individual monitoring system to the state operator Energoatom. Moreover, in the past three weeks, 11 additional deliveries were made to nine different organizations in Ukraine comprising of radiation protection- and nuclear security-related equipment, diesel generators, IT equipment, as well as medical equipment and supplies. The funding for these deliveries was provided by the Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy, Norway and the United Kingdom. With these deliveries, over €15 million worth of equipment and supplies reached Ukraine since the start of the armed conflict.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

‘Good To Know’, a new educational videos series explaining how nuclear science can help solve global issues, is being launched today on Discovery Channel, as part of a new partnership with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The films will air in over 30 countries, reaching 44 million households across the entire Europe, Middle East and Africa region. 

This first tranche of five short films, made by the IAEA video team in conjunction with the Warner Bros. Discovery editorial team, will explain in simple terms how radiation can safely be used to solve some of the world’s most pressing global challenges. These include:

• Microplastics in the ocean (filmed in Monaco/Global)
• The growing cancer burden (filmed in India)
• Food insecurity (filmed in Austria/Global)
• Water scarcity in the face of climate change (filmed in Austria/Costa Rica)
• Industrial contamination (filmed in Czech Republic)

Each of these films is around one minute long and will play as part of Discovery’s ‘Good To Know’, a new educational videos series about the benefits of nuclear science and technology, both on television and online. 

Future films to be included in the series will continue to investigate how nuclear science can help development, particularly in the light of climate change, such as by measuring how coastal regions sequester carbon, or how the oceans are becoming more acidic, or how pest insects can be controlled without chemicals. The films will also highlight more details on key IAEA programmes to battle plastic pollution, drought and hunger.

The films are made in conjunction with the IAEA’s twelve nuclear sciences and applications laboratories, a unique feature in the United Nations. The laboratories develop and share nuclear techniques with countries around the world. Watch a three-minute film about the labs here.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said: “People may know us as the nuclear watchdog, helping enhance safety, security and safeguards in places like Fukushima, Iran, Ukraine. But not enough people know of the amazing potential nuclear science has to make tangible differences in people’s lives – helping farmers grow better crops, cancer patients get better treatment, governments understand and protect key natural areas. As the terrible effects of climate change become more obvious to people around the world, it is important for the public to also know there is hope. Science, as always, offers solutions to many of our main challenges.”

Najat Mokhtar, Head of IAEA Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, agreed: “I am delighted to see ours labs’ the vital research being shared on the respected Discovery Channel. Science is a vital force for good in the world, and nuclear science offers so many incredible innovations to help countries meet their development goals.”

Jamie Cooke, Executive Vice President and Managing Director Central Europe, Middle East and Turkey said: “We are thrilled that our viewers will now get the opportunity to learn more about how nuclear science is being used in innovative ways to improve our lives and advance the environmental sustainability agenda. We consider it our duty to leverage the voice, storytelling strength and expertise we have, to cast light and tell the right stories that will positively impact our communities and viewers. It’s part of our Social Good Strategy, and we want to use our media for good.”

About the International Atomic Energy Agency

Widely known as the world’s “Atoms for Peace and Development” organization within the United Nations family, the IAEA is the international centre for cooperation in the nuclear field. The Agency works with its Member States and multiple partners worldwide to promote the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technologies. For more information, visit IAEA.org.

About Warner Bros. Discovery

Warner Bros. Discovery is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates and distributes the world’s most differentiated and complete portfolio of branded content across television, film, streaming and gaming. Available in more than 220 countries and territories and 50 languages, Warner Bros. Discovery inspires, informs and entertains audiences worldwide through its iconic brands and products including: Discovery Channel, Max, discovery+, CNN, DC, TNT Sports, Eurosport, HBO, HGTV, Food Network, OWN, Investigation Discovery, TLC, Magnolia Network, TNT, TBS, truTV, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, Warner Bros. Television Group, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, Warner Bros. Games, New Line Cinema, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies, Discovery en Español, Hogar de HGTV and others. For more information, please visit www.wbd.com.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) staff reported hearing loud blasts near Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) today, coinciding with reports of a drone attack on the plant’s training center, marking yet another threat to nuclear safety at Europe’s largest NPP, according to Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.

The IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhya (ISAMZ) team stationed at ZNPP reported hearing two loud explosions coming from outside the perimeter of the site at approximately 12:45 and 15:45. For now, the IAEA has not yet been able to confirm any impact. The IAEA team also reported hearing machine gun fire coming from the site on multiple occasions.

The IAEA is aware of reports of an alleged attack by a drone at the ZNPP training center today, just outside of the site’s perimeter. Reports state that there were no casualties and no impact on any NPP equipment.

The ISAMZ team has reported that the intensity of military activities in the vicinity of Europe’s largest NPP – including multiple explosions at various distances from the site – has increased over the last 24 hours. “An attack on any nuclear power plant is completely unacceptable,” Director General Grossi stated. “In light of the increased military activity at ZNPP, I once again call for maximum restraint to avert the clear danger to its safety, and for the strict adherence to the five concrete principles established by the IAEA at the United Nations Security Council to protect the facility and the seven indispensable pillars of nuclear safety during an armed conflict also defined by the IAEA”.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is assessing observations and information collected from its recent missions to Ukraine’s electrical substations, conducted in the aftermath of attacks on the nation’s energy infrastructure, as part of the Agency’s ongoing commitment to monitoring nuclear safety and security, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.

Recent assaults on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including a major attack on 25 December that caused some reactor units at the country’s three operational plants to once again reduce their operating power for several hours, have reduced the stability of Ukraine’s electrical grid. All affected reactor units subsequently returned to nominal full power.

During its eight-day mission from 16 – 23 December, IAEA experts gathered technical information about seven electrical substations critical to the safe operation of Ukraine’s Khmelnytskyy, Rivne, and South Ukraine nuclear power plants (NPPs). A reliable and stable grid connection is essential to transfer the electricity generated by the operating NPPs and to receive off-site power, which is required for maintaining nuclear safety. The Zaporizhzhya NPP (ZNPP) and the Chornobyl site also depend on reliable and stable off-site power to maintain nuclear safety.

The IAEA team that visited the substations documented the damage and gathered critical evidence highlighting the electricity grid’s vulnerabilities as a result of attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. During the mission, the team met with experts from Ukraine’s grid operator, nuclear plant operators, and nuclear regulator. Drawing on information from this mission and two previous substation assessments, the IAEA is working to identify and deliver targeted technical assistance to help prevent a nuclear accident.

“These attacks impact grid stability and jeopardise the reliability of the off-site power supply, creating risks to nuclear safety,” said Director General Grossi. “Our ongoing missions to the substations and our presence at five nuclear power plant sites are essential for monitoring nuclear safety and security in Ukraine, particularly the reliable and stable provision of off-site power to the plants.”

The IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhya (ISAMZ) has continued to carry out walkdowns and follow maintenance activities to monitor the status of nuclear safety and security systems and equipment at the plant.

In another instance highlighting the precarious external power situation, the IAEA team stationed at the ZNPP, were informed that the plant’s last remaining 330 kV back-up power line was recently disconnected two times for maintenance from 20 – 22 December and from 24 – 25 December. Before the military conflict, Europe’s largest NPP was connected to four 750 kV and six 330 kV off-site power lines.

The IAEA team was informed that unit 4’s circulation pump used to maintain the movement and cleanliness of water in the ZNPP cooling pond was switched off on 18 December to maintain a level of water in the cooling pond. The ZNPP confirmed that water from the 11 groundwater wells is sufficiently feeding the sprinkler ponds which provide cooling to the six reactor units in their current cold shutdown states. The six reactor units at the ZNPP have not operated at power for more than two years. 

The IAEA team was informed that planned maintenance activities were completed last week on safety trains in unit 2 and 6, as well as on one of the common emergency diesel generators. Additionally, diesel steam generators were operated between 12 – 30 December to treat roughly 800 cubic metres of liquid waste.

The team at the ZNPP continues to report hearing military activity in the vicinity of the plant. The ISAMZ team reported hearing explosions over the past days at various distances from Ukraine’s largest NPP. No damage was reported to the ZNPP.

Separately, the IAEA teams at the Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs and the Chornobyl site also continue to report air raid alarms, and the Khmelnytskyy team were required to shelter several times in the past week.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU) informed the IAEA that the subcritical neutron source facility at the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology lost off-site power on the morning of 25 December, as a result of military activities. The facility, which remains shutdown, received power from its emergency diesel generator until off-site power was restored approximately five hours later.