The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on Thursday that Russian troops had formally, and in writing, transferred control of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) back to the Ukrainian personnel who run the facility. This information had been conveyed to the IAEA by Ukraine.

Moreover, two columns of Russian troops had left the NPP, which in 1986 had been the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster (at that time, it was known by its Russian name, Chernobyl). Russian forces had occupied the NPP on February 24, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Some Russian troops remained at the NPP, which has not operated since 1986, but they were expected to leave soon. Further, a column of Russian troops had also left the nearby town of Slavutych, where many of the Chornobyl NPP staff lived. All three Russian columns headed towards Belarus.

From February 24 to March 21 there had been no rotation of the duty shift at the NPP. The staff on duty when the Russians occupied the site had to remain, sleeping near their duty stations. On the latter date, about half of them were relieved by colleagues who had volunteered to do so. No further staff rotations had since been reported, stated the IAEA.

IAEA director-general Rafael Mariano Grossi had, before that rotation had taken place, pointed out that one of the IAEA’s seven “indispensable” pillars for nuclear safety was "operating staff must be able to fulfil their safety and security duties and have the capacity to make decisions free of undue pressure”. He had also warned about the risks to safety posed by having staff working while tired and under pressure.   

Grossi stated on Thursday that his agency was now consulting closely with the Ukrainian authorities about sending an initial IAEA assistance and support mission to Chornobyl, which would happen within the next few days. Reports that Russian troops had received high doses of radiation at Chornobyl remained unconfirmed and the IAEA was seeking the information it required to make an independent assessment.

The agency was still not receiving any data from its monitoring systems at Chornobyl, but was receiving such data from all other Ukrainian NPPs, including Zaporizhzhya, which was also occupied by Russian troops. Ukraine had four operational NPPs which contained 15 reactors, of which nine were currently operational and the rest were shut down, undergoing routine maintenance.

Grossi was scheduled to hold talks, in Kaliningrad, with senior Russian officials on Friday morning, about nuclear safety and security issues in Ukraine. (Kaliningrad is a Russian enclave on the Baltic Sea, located between Poland and Lithuania.) This would follow and complement his talks on Wednesday with senior Ukrainian officials on the same issues.