Vienna, 4 November 2022 (TDI): On November 3, 2022, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi announced that the inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had concluded their in-field verification operation at three locations in Ukraine.
The verification procedure was started by the IAEA at the request of the Ukrainian government. The verification activities took place at the Institute for Nuclear Research in Kyiv, the Eastern Mining and Processing Plant in Zhovti Kody, and the Production Association Pivdennyi Machine-Building Plant in Dnipro.
In recent weeks, Director General Grossi has held high-level talks with both Ukraine and Russia with the goal of quickly agreeing on and establishing a nuclear safety and security protection zone around the Ukrainian nuclear reactor, Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).
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As per the press release, the inspectors have had unrestricted access to the locations. Also, they have been able to carry out all of the IAEA’s planned activities to detect nuclear activity.
Based on an analysis of the results to date and the information given by Ukraine, the agency found no evidence of undeclared nuclear activity or materials at the locations.
Environmental samples were also gathered by the inspectors for study at the IAEA’s safeguards facilities and its network of analytical laboratories.
Environmental sampling is a popular safety strategy that uses ultrasensitive analytical techniques to offer information about previous and existing nuclear material handling activities.
The IAEA Director General said in the press release that the verification by the agency was started at the request of the Government of Ukraine. Upon the request, the Director General immediately sent an inspection team to the three aforementioned locations.
The inspection team’s role was to carry out an indispensable technical and independent role in verifying the facts on the ground. He further mentioned that the team reached within time and conducted their safeguards operation, which was quite challenging in the current conflict in Ukraine.
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He also confirmed that in the IAEA’s technical and scientific analysis of the conclusions, the agency has concluded that there is no sign of illegal nuclear activities or materials at any location of inspection.
He also announced that the report on the results of the environmental sampling will be shared as soon as possible.
Director General Grossi showed the commitment of the IAEA to nuclear non-proliferation while saying that the IAEA has maintained its preparedness to conduct additional such verification procedures in Ukraine in order to confirm the absence of undeclared activities and materials and thereby dissuade any misuse of such materials.
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