As of 10:00 on 7 March 2022, the operational personnel of the nuclear subcritical installation “neutron source based on a subcritical assembly driven by a linear electron accelerator” (neutron source) inspected its site, structures and systems/components.

No additional damage was found. The radiological situation at the site is normal.

We recall that the Russian Federation committed another act of nuclear terrorism on 6 March 2022. The neutron source located on the site of the National Scientific Center “Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology” (KIPT) came under fire.

The bombing caused the following damage:

- RU-0.4 kV substation is destroyed (photo 1);

- cables of air conditioning systems of the linear electron accelerator gallery are damaged (photo 2);

- in some places there is surface damage of the main building of the neutron source (photo 3);

- heating line leading to the buildings and structures of the neutron source is damaged (photo 4);

- windows in the building of the pump station and cooling towers and in the laboratory of isotopes are broken (photo 5).

Prior to the Russian aggression, the neutron source was at the initial startup stage and thus the core was loaded with fresh nuclear fuel.

On 24 February 2022, the operational personnel transferred the neutron source to deep subcritical state.

For reference.

The neutron source has been created on KIPT premises in accordance with the agreements reached at the Washington Summit and set forth in the Joint Statement of the Presidents of Ukraine and the United States in April 2010 and the Memorandum of Understanding between the Governments of Ukraine and the United States on Nuclear Safety Issues signed on 26 September 2011. The project is supported by the U.S. Argonne National Laboratory.

The neutron source is designed for scientific and applied research in the field of nuclear physics, radiation materials science, biology and chemistry and for the production of medical radioisotopes.