The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported the destruction of one of its radiation monitoring stations, claiming shelling and fire as the causes of the damage.
According to a statement on the IAEA website, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi emphasized this.
The IAEA Director General said that the shelling and fire destroyed the external radiation monitoring station:
"The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been informed by the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) that an external radiation monitoring station was destroyed by shelling and fire this week, further reducing the effectiveness of its off-site capability to detect and measure any radioactive release during an emergency."
The report also adds that the latest incident comes just days after 16-hour loss of power in the nearby city of Enerhodar, where most of the ZNPP staff live. There was a temporary shutdown of some radiological environmental monitoring stations after their backup battery ran out.
The IAEA noted that out of 14 radiation monitoring stations, 4 were completely lost, and some of the stations did not work for different periods of time due to the damage.
Grossi emphasized the particular importance of radiation monitoring equipment:
"The functioning of off-site radiation monitoring equipment is an essential part of nuclear safety around the world. These systems are important for continuously monitoring radiation levels and, in the case of an emergency, for quickly assessing the ongoing and potential radiological impact and what protective actions may need to be taken."
However, he also added that the loss of one radiation monitoring station does not have a direct impact on safety at Zaporizhzhia NPP: "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."
Earlier, we reported that a drone exploded on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).