UN nuclear watchdog no longer receiving data from Chernobyl, expresses worry about the 130 trapped workers
Chernobyl plant
In a statement Tuesday, the UN watchdog said that the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is no longer sending data to them. The agency also expressed concern for staff operating under Russian guard at the Ukrainian facility.
Rafael Grossi, the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), "indicated that remote data transmission from safeguards monitoring systems installed at the Chornobyl NPP had been lost", the agency said in its statement.
"The Agency is looking into the status of safeguards monitoring systems in other locations in Ukraine and will provide further information soon," it said.
By "safeguards," the IAEA refers to the technical measures it uses to regulate nuclear material and activities with the goal of suppressing the spread of nuclear weapons through the early detection of their misuse.
On February 24, Russia invaded Ukraine and seized Chernobyl, the site of a 1986 disaster that killed hundreds of people and spread radioactive contamination west across Europe.
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
Staff conditions were "worsening" at the site, the IAEA said, citing Ukraine's nuclear regulator.Over 200 technical staff and guards are trapped on the site, working 13 days straight since the Russians took over.
Also read |We will not give up, will fight till the end, Ukraine President Zelensky tells UK Parliament
The defunct plant lies inside an exclusion zone that also contains decommissioned reactors and a radioactive waste facility.
A staff of more than 2,000 is still employed at the plant as it must be constantly managed to prevent another nuclear accident.
Russian authorities were urged to allow workers to rotate because regular shifts and rest were crucial to the site's safety.
Watch |Gravitas: Meet the mediators of the Russia-Ukraine war
"I'm deeply concerned about the difficult and stressful situation facing staff at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant and the potential risks this entails for nuclear safety," said Grossi.
"I call on the forces in effective control of the site to urgently facilitate the safe rotation of personnel there."
Since the Ukrainian regulator could only reach the plant via email, Grossi reiterated his offer to travel to the plant or elsewhere to secure from all parties "the commitment to safety and security" of Ukraine's power plants.
(With inputs from agencies)
