On 22 November 2024, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine hosted a working meeting between Ihor Bendo, SNRIU Deputy Chairman, Deputy Chief State Inspector for Nuclear and Radiation Safety of Ukraine, and experts of the IAEA’s Medical Assistance Programme for Operating Personnel at NPPs in Ukraine, which worked in Ukraine last week.

“I would like to note and thank you that in this difficult time for Ukraine, the IAEA is implementing and improving mechanisms of assistance and cooperation to maintain nuclear safety, security and emergency response capability. Examples of this are the IAEA's support, together with its Member States, of permanent monitoring and special missions at nuclear facilities and energy infrastructure facilities in Ukraine that have an impact on NPP safety, implementation of the Medical assistance programme for operating personnel at NPPs, supply of equipment for safety and security purposes, as well as the objective informing of other international organisations and Member States on the state of nuclear safety in Ukraine in the context of the ongoing military aggression of the russian federation’, Ihor Bendo said in his welcoming speech.

Dr Liliana Salaru, Senior Medical Officer of the IAEA, assured that the Agency will continue to work on the issue of maintaining the health of operating personnel, as it is one of the main factors in ensuring nuclear safety and security of nuclear facilities, and noted the important role of the SNRIU in the implementation of the medical assistance mission.

On 19-21 November 2024, the IAEA joint mission visited the Chornobyl NPP site to review the working and resting conditions of the plant personnel, who have been working in the shift mode for the third year, and to discuss the improvement of the work of the IAEA permanent monitoring mission at ChNPP.

The IAEA representatives also had an opportunity to get acquainted with the main infrastructure facilities of the ChNPP: the new safe confinement over Unit 4, radioactive waste and spent fuel management facilities.

As part of the Medical Assistance Programme, the IAEA representatives handed over two ambulances: one to meet the needs of ChNPP personnel, the other to be used in the hospital in Varash, a satellite city of the Rivne NPP.