Workers at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in northern Ukraine are being forced to work uninterrupted, according to the IAEA, the UN nuclear watchdog. The nuclear power plant is now effectively controlled by Russian forces.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said in a statement that Ukrainian authorities had informed him that the same group of 210 workers at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant had been operating uninterruptedly for the past two weeks. He expressed concern over the pressure exerted by these workers.
Rafael Grossi said these workers must be given rest and the opportunity to work in regular shifts. “It’s important for nuclear security as a whole,” he said.
Chernobyl, the epicenter of the world’s worst nuclear accident in 1986, was invaded by Russian troops on February 24. Russia took control of the center within hours of Moscow’s full-scale Ukrainian aggression.
Rafael Grossi said the IAEA had lost the ability to monitor the security of the nuclear plant from a distance.
