Critical issues in the Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhya nuclear plants, the ENSREG appeal to the Russian armed forces: "Stop all military action at nuclear installations and allow personnel to keep the plants safe".

ENSREG deplores the attacks by Russian forces on the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant on 4 March and on the subcritical nuclear installation in Kharkiv, which took place two days later. The Group of European Regulators on Nuclear Safety has also expressed strong concern about the safety of several research reactors and the sites where highly active radioactive sources are used.

The second extraordinary meeting of ENSREG since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine was held yesterday. In addition to the nuclear safety regulatory authorities of the Member States of the European Union and the European Commission, the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), the Ukrainian Nuclear Safety Authority (SNRIU, State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine), WENRA (Western European Nuclear Regulators' Association) and two observatories from Switzerland and the United Kingdom. For Italy, the ISIN participated, represented by the Coordinator of the Council and president of the ENSREG Working Group on radioactive waste and decommissioning, Stefano Laporta.

As pointed out at the meeting on February 27, any attack or threat to nuclear facilities intended for peaceful purposes constitutes a violation of the principles of the United Nations Charter, international law and the IAEA Statute, as expressed in a Decision of the same Agency in 2009. 
During the meeting, the implications of the military attack on the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, the largest nuclear plant in Europe, were examined in detail. In addition to the fire that broke out at the training center, which was soon extinguished, damage was also found to parts of the Unit 1 building, to the tunnel and to the electricity supply network infrastructure.
The appeal of the ENSREG Group is aimed at the Russian armed forces: to allow the operator to ensure the safe operation of the plant and to carry out a complete assessment and repair of the damage.

There is still concern about the situation in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, due to the restrictions imposed on on-site personnel, unable to carry out routine maintenance and repair operations on safety-critical equipment. Staff who, moreover, would not have been able, for 11 days, to alternate in shifts and communicate directly with the SNRIU regulatory authority.

Finally, the current fragility of electrical supplies to the site is a cause for concern, with only one diesel power line out of three available and a fuel reserve sufficient for just another 48 hours.

ENSREG also reiterated its appeal for the cessation of all forms of occupation of nuclear sites, allowing the Nuclear Safety Authority (SNRIU) to exercise its control activities without hindrance.

Finally, ENSREG expressed its full support for the initiative of the Director General of the IAEA, Rafael Mariano Grossi, to contribute to an agreement between Ukraine and Russia that guarantees the safety and protection of nuclear plants in the area and to provide any necessary assistance in coordination with other international partners.

Finally, in thanking SNRIU and its staff for their extraordinary commitment to ensure, to the best of their ability, supervision of the state of nuclear installations, keeping the international community informed, ENSREG declared its willingness to provide support.

The ENSREG press release is available at the link: https://www.ensreg.eu/document/ensreg-statement-ukraine-6-march-2022-0