The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi arrived in Ukraine for talks with senior government officials over the IAEA’s planned emergency technical assistance, the agency said in a statement.
Assistance will ensure the safety and protection of the country’s nuclear facilities and prevent the risk of an accident that could pose a danger to people and the environment, the IAEA noted.
“The purpose of the Director General’s visit is to initiate the operational security of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities. It will include the dispatch of IAEA experts to priority facilities and the delivery of vital safety and security supplies, including monitoring and emergency response equipment,” the IAEA said in a statement.
The IAEA has reportedly developed specific and detailed plans to assist Ukraine’s nuclear facilities, including fifteen nuclear power reactors at four stations and the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
The IAEA’s technical assistance will also enable the IAEA to continue its safeguards power source activities in Ukraine following its non-proliferation mandate, the statement said.
“During his visit this week, the director-general will travel to one of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants,” the statement posted on the IAEA website said.
Grossi said that the military conflict exposes Ukrainian nuclear power plants and other facilities with radioactive materials to unprecedented danger.
“We must take urgent measures to ensure their safe and reliable operation and reduce the risk of a nuclear accident, which could have serious consequences for health and the environment both in Ukraine and abroad,” the head of the IAEA said.