OdCNP Nuclear Security Monthly Update: December Report
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- Published: Thursday, 05 January 2023 21:04
The Odesa Center for Nonproliferation is excited to release the “OdCNP Nuclear Security November Report” by Ali Alkis.
NUCLEAR SECURITY
The Russian occupation of Zaporizhzhia continued to be increasingly disturbing in December as stories continued to surface detailing Russian troops’ mistreatment of nuclear operators in Ukraine. However, the ongoing occupation of nuclear power plants, with attacks on Zaporizhzhia and threats to vital parts of Ukraine’s nuclear infrastructure, is no longer seen as breaking news as it has become something we get used to in time, unfortunately.
Figure 1 Cover page of IAEA Nuclear Safety and Security Glossary
However, there were positive developments, too. For example, the new IAEA Nuclear Safety and Security Glossary explains these and more, collecting definitions and explanations of technical terms used in the IAEA safety standards and nuclear security guidance in a single publication and providing information on their usage to promote consistency in the use of terminology.
Katherine Asfaw, a Senior Standards Specialist at the IAEA's Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, stated, "The IAEA Nuclear Safety and Security Glossary provides a list of terms and definitions established in IAEA safety standards and nuclear security guidance published up till 2022. It also provides additional explanations on their use in the safety standards and nuclear security guidance, so that these publications can be used consistently and harmonized, no matter the application".
There are more than 130 publications in the IAEA Safety Standards Series and more than 40 in the IAEA Nuclear Security Series, all covering specific aspects of nuclear safety and security. These series serve as a global reference and shared resource for national regulatory bodies and other competent authorities, drafters of national legislation, international organizations, and organizations that design, manufacture and operate nuclear facilities, as well as those involved in the use and application of radiation technologies. The IAEA publications are also used as an international benchmark for peer reviews and advisory services for nuclear safety and security.
Figure 2 IAEA Flag, source IAEA
In addition, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal have agreed that the IAEA will establish a continuous presence of nuclear safety and security experts at all of the country's nuclear power plants as part of stepped-up efforts to help prevent a nuclear accident during the current armed conflict.
On the other hand, diplomatic efforts to establish a nuclear safety and security protection zone around Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) are making headway, intending to agree and implement the much-needed measure soon, Director General of the IAEA Rafael Mariano Grossi said after a new round of talks on his proposal.
At the same time, a shield is being set up over a storage site for spent nuclear waste at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine to protect it from shelling and drones, a Russian-installed official said on Saturday.Video footage published by Vladimir Rogov, a Russian-appointed official in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia province, showed workers mounting a screen of what appeared to be some kind of transparent sheeting on wires above dozens of concrete cylinders about 5 meters (16 feet) high.
Figure 3 Iranian-made Shahed drone, source IranInt.com
Unfortunately, the Ukrainian atomic energy agency announced that Russia continues to endanger nuclear facilities by sending a "kamikaze" drone over part of the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant in the Mykolaiv region just after midnight.
Energoatom said the Iranian-made Shahed drone had been detected at 00:46 on 19 December over the station and said it was calling on the international nuclear community to protect atomic sites from war risks.