IAEA permanent monitoring mission launched at Khmelnitsky NPP

MOSCOW. Jan 24 (Interfax) - A permanent monitoring mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) started working at the Khmelnitsky Nuclear Power Plant on January 23, Ukrainian media reported on Tuesday, citing a statement on the website of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine.

"Last week, similar IAEA missions were launched at the operational South Ukraine NPP and the Rovno NPP, as well as in the Chernobyl NPP zone, which is currently being decommissioned," the statement said.

A working meeting took place at the Khmelnitsky NPP, it said. IAEA representatives, acting chairman of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate and Chief State Inspector for Nuclear and Radiation Safety of Ukraine Oleg Korikov, and Khmelnitsky NPP Director General Andrei Kozyura attended the meeting, it said. The parties shared the position that the main tasks of the mission are to maintain nuclear and radiation safety at the Ukrainian nuclear facilities, it said.

As previously reported, the IAEA deployed its permanent monitoring missions at all Ukrainian nuclear power plants in response to the official request of the Ukrainian government.