On 31 May – 2 June 2016, anti-sabotage and emergency exercises were conducted at Khmelnitsky NPP. According to prescribed functions and tasks, the SNRIU activated the Information and Emergency Center (IEC) involving experts of the Department of Nuclear Facilities Safety, Nuclear Security Department, International Cooperation and European Integration Division, and State Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety. A representative of the on-site State Nuclear Safety Inspectorate at KhNPP participated in operation of the On-Site Emergency Center. The efforts by Energoatom emergency staff were supervised by a state inspector of the Department of Nuclear Facilities Safety.

The exercises were intended to train SNRIU actions on supervision of the operator’s emergency preparedness, early notification of radiation accidents (within exercises) via mass media, immediate and periodic notification of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, other central executive authorities and services with relevant duties on response to NPP emergencies, including physical protection during incidents, and international information exchange within the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident and relevant bilateral agreements with other countries using the IAEA Unified System for Information Exchange in Incidents and Emergencies (USIE).

IEC experts analyzed on-line data on the state of nuclear facilities and simulation of processes and events on site within the exercises, in particular, on prediction of directions and distances of radioactive transfer and doses using the JRODOS system based on real weather conditions obtained by IEC from the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center.

On 2 June, after completion of the exercises, the final meeting of SNRIU emergency staff was held together with representatives of the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Argonne National Laboratory and Norwegian Radiation Protection Agency, which had the opportunity to observe exercises at KhNPP site, Energoatom Emergency Center and SNRIU IEC.

Serhii Bozhko, SNRIU Chairman, expressed gratitude to the U.S. Government for support of the comprehensive exercises and experts for their opinions and proposals for improving the procedures and mechanisms to enhance interface of nuclear safety, physical protection and emergency preparedness for social safety and security.

SNRIU emergency exercises will be followed by a report and a series of corrective actions to further improve the national emergency preparedness and response system.