The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) 35-nation Board of Governors will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday about Ukraine, where war is raging in a country with four operational nuclear power plants and various waste facilities including Chernobyl, Reuters reported on Sunday.
Board members Canada and Poland called the meeting at the request of Ukraine, which is not on the Board, diplomats said. IAEA member states that are not on the Board, like Ukraine, can call a Board meeting but the possible range of topics is wider if a Board member calls one.
"The IAEA Board of Governors will hold a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the current situation in Ukraine," the IAEA said in a statement quoted by Reuters.
The agenda item for the meeting is: "The safety, security and safeguards implications of the situation in Ukraine," a diplomat said.
Russian forces last week seized the spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste facilities at Chernobyl, the site of the world's worst nuclear accident at a now-defunct power plant.
The takeover prompted condemnation from the United States, after “credible” reports were received that Russian soldiers are holding staff of Chernobyl hostage.
Staff on duty at Chernobyl have not been changed since Thursday, the IAEA said on Saturday, citing Ukraine's nuclear regulator.
Staff at Chernobyl must be able to work and rest as normal, the IAEA said on Saturday, meaning they must be rotated out to ensure the site's safety.