** Ukraine: Grossi (Aiea), ‘the morale of the staff of the Zaporizhzhya plant is very low’ **

The “morale and emotional state” of the personnel working at the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhya are “very low”. This was announced by the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (Aiea), Rafael Mariano Grossi, who receives updates from Ukraine. Grossi has repeatedly expressed grave concern about the extremely stressful and difficult working conditions faced by personnel operating at Ukrainian nuclear plants, in particular at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant and the Chernobyl site, which Russian forces have monitored for five weeks before their retirement last Thursday. This unprecedented situation in which nuclear power plant personnel find themselves has seriously compromised one of the seven indispensable pillars of nuclear safety, as “operational personnel must be able to fulfill their safety and security duties and have the ability to make decisions. free from undue pressure. “” It is unacceptable and unsustainable for staff to work in circumstances that could seriously compromise their well-being and thus negatively impact the safe and secure operation of these nuclear facilities, “said Director General Grossi. ‘ Nuclear site personnel deserve our deep admiration ‘”As I said during my visit to the Southern Ukraine nuclear power plant last week – Grossi added – Ukrainian nuclear site personnel deserve our deep admiration and sincere gratitude for resilience. and determination shown to carry out their duties many tasks. “In the northeastern city of Kharkiv, Ukraine informed the IAEA last night that the unexploded device, found at the end of March near a nuclear research facility, turned out to be on closer inspection. the body of a rocket without its explosive tip and therefore does not represent a danger. The facility still lacks electricity due to previous damage, and shelling in the area made it difficult to restore electricity. The facility was used for the research, development and production of radioisotopes for medical and industrial applications. Its nuclear material is subcritical and the radioactive inventory is low. At the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, preparations continue for the next staff rotation, including safety assessment for staff.