Radiation monitoring station destroyed near Zaporizhia NPP – IAEA
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that an external radiation monitoring station was destroyed by shelling and fire this week, the IAEA website reports.
According to IAEA Director General Mariano Grossi, this has further reduced the effectiveness of the ability to detect and measure any radioactive releases during emergencies.
The statement notes that the station was located approximately 16 kilometers from the Zaporizhia NPP.
The IAEA also adds that four of the 14 stations that operated before the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine are currently operating.
The latest incident reportedly comes just days after a 16-hour power outage in Enerhodar caused some radiological environmental monitoring stations to temporarily shut down after their backup batteries ran out.
"The loss of one radiation monitoring station does not have a direct impact on safety at the ZNPP, but it forms part of a continuous erosion of a range of safety measures during the war that remains a deep source of concern," the report noted.
The report adds that ZNPP continues to face other challenges related to nuclear safety during war.
In particular, last week IAEA experts heard explosions within a certain distance from the plant on most days.