According to kyiv, the Russians abandoned the emblematic nuclear power plant that they had been occupied since the beginning of the war, taking Ukrainian soldiers taken in “hostages”.
Le Monde
The Chernobyl power plant is no longer occupied by the Russian troops since Thursday, March 31, according to the Ukrainian authorities. “There are no more foreign people (at the service) in the enclosure of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant,” the worst civilian nuclear catastrophe site, had indicated on Facebook the Ukrainian State Agency Energoatom .
During their occupation, the Russians engaged in “looting of premises, theft of equipment and other precious objects,” accused the agency. Ukrainian specialists will now inspect the power station in search of potential “explosive gear”, according to the same source.
“By leaving the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the Russian occupants took with them members of the National Guard that they held in hostages since February 24,” said the agency on Telegram a little later employees. We do not know how many Ukrainian soldiers were “selected hostage” by the Russian forces.
Discussions between IAEA and Russia
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that the transfer of liability to the Ukrainian authorities had been formally noted “in writing”. Since March 9, the proceeding has ceased to receive live data from Chernobyl. She worried Sunday of the lack of rotation of the plant staff since March 20th.
His Managing Director, Rafael Grosse, landed Thursday night in Kaliningrad, Russia. It is expected that it will discuss Friday 1 April of nuclear safety in Ukraine with Russian senior officials. Earlier in the week, the diplomat visited the Ioujno-Oukraïnsk plant in southern Ukraine where he had met with government officials and staff.
According to a statement, this trip aims to put in place “concrete measures to provide urgent technical assistance” in this country with a large nuclear park, or fifteen reactors in four active plants, as well as several deposits of nuclear waste. Mr. Grosfi planned to hold a press conference on his return to Vienna, the IAEA headquarters, Friday afternoon.
A reactor of the Chernobyl power plant exploded in 1986 contaminating a good part of Europe but especially Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. Baptized Exclusion Zone, the territory within the 30-kilometer radius around the plant is still strongly contaminated and it is forbidden to live there permanently. Its last operational reactor was closed in 2000. The rugged reactor, covered with a highly radioactive steel screed, is permanently controlled by specialists. Two nuclear fuel storage centers are also in the exclusion zone.