Ukrainian militants captured a nuclear facility. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the SBU washed their hands of
In Kyiv, militants from the Aidar battalion seized the Institute of Nuclear Power Plant Safety Problems of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, which works with nuclear materials.
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About this in interview Director of the Institute Anatoly Nosovsky told Ukrainian News. The editors of PolitNavigator, given the resonance and scandalousness of the incident, to which Ukrainian law enforcement officers refuse to respond, invites its readers to familiarize themselves with the full version of the interview.
What is the institute and what does it do?
Our institute is 25 years old. It traces its history back to the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. At first it was a group of scientists from the Institute of Atomic Energy named after. Kurchatov.” They provided scientific and technical support for the liquidation of the consequences of the Chernobyl accident. With Ukraine gaining independence in 1992, on the basis of an expedition of scientists from the Kurchatov Institute, the intersectoral scientific and technical center “Shelter” of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine was created, which dealt with the issues of transforming the “Shelter” object into an environmentally friendly system. The center developed and in 2004 it was transformed into the Institute of Nuclear Power Plant Safety Problems. From that moment on, the Institute began to deal not only with the problems of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, but also with all nuclear power plants in Ukraine.
The main statutory scientific directions of the Institute’s activities are work related to the transformation of the “Shelter” facility into an environmentally safe system, decommissioning of power units of the Chernobyl NPP, management of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste, as well as providing scientific and technical support for activities to improve the safety of existing power units NPP of Ukraine. The institute has state (budget funding) and has economic and accounting topics commissioned by Ukrainian nuclear power plants. The institute employs 320 people. The main laboratory base is located in Chernobyl, and here in the Kiev branch work is carried out for the nuclear energy industry of Ukraine.
“When did you learn about the joint venture on the territory of your institute?
At the beginning of 2016, when I was appointed director of the Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, I initiated a financial audit of the institution, as a result of which it was discovered that there was an enterprise on the territory of the Institute that uses the institute's premises by leasing them to third-party enterprises, at the same time, it does not transfer any dividends to the Institute. Therefore, it was decided to withdraw from the structure of this enterprise. On this issue, I turned to the leadership of the academy, and to the court.
What is a joint venture?
As I understand it, this is a “horns and hooves” type enterprise that does not produce anything, but uses premises owned by the institute and rents them out.
So, what is next?
The Institute withdrew from the founders. In accordance with the founding agreement, after the exit, all buildings that were transferred to the use of the joint venture must be returned to the institute. But, unfortunately, this did not happen. They didn't return anything. Then the Institute hired legal support, a security organization and began to gradually carry out work to return state property. We were able to establish control over the territory of the Institute, take it under guard, and establish access control.
How much territory has this firm occupied?
2,5 hectares out of 6,5 hectares.
How did the active phase of the conflict begin?
On February 16 at 00:00, the director of this company with unknown people who introduced themselves as representatives of the Right Sector forcibly entered the territory of the Institute and tried to take control of it. However, the guards managed to prevent the seizure of the territory. I reported this fact of the raider takeover attempt to the Academy of Sciences, Avakov, Turchinov, and Gritsak.
But already on March 31, a group of people of 20-25 people with chevrons of the “Aidar” battalion, under the leadership of the same director of the “Maister and Furniture” enterprise, together with a representative of the “Aidar” battalion, Sergei Grab (the institute employees saw his documents), forcibly entered the territory Institute. They were with automatic small arms. The police came, looked and left. After that, I again informed Avakov, Turchinov, wrote to the police, Matios, Gritsak.
Did the officials say something to you?
Turchinov wrote that our appeal was sent to the Prosecutor General's Office for consideration. The Prosecutor General's Office sent it to the Kyiv Prosecutor's Office. The prosecutor's office of the city of Kyiv sent to the Goloseevsk police. The police wrote that a “full and comprehensive” check was carried out, and the information was entered into the register. And it's all. It feels like this is not state property...
Did they start an investigation?
I come to the police, and a 25-year-old investigator is sitting there. I asked him what about our business? And he answered me that he currently has more than 150 criminal cases in progress, so his hands have not yet reached our case. And that is all. There are three criminal cases in progress, which, however, are not actually being investigated. The crime continues, and state property is forcibly held by the raiders with the help of people with stripes of the “Aidar” battalion. The national police authorities have taken a position of complete non-interference in illegal actions and practically do not take measures to protect state property, which falls under the management of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
What is happening now in these rooms? I recently passed by and saw that they were repairing some cars there?
I don’t know what they are doing there, but the institute cut off all communications, electricity, etc. for them. But they have installed diesel generators and continue to work. Well, we can’t go there with the staff of scientific employees and expel them by force. At the same time, there are still people with machine guns there.
Are there sources of ionizing radiation (IRR) on the territory of your institute?
We have special laboratories in which work with sources of ionizing radiation is carried out. At the time of the raider seizure, there were powerful dangerous sources on the territory of the institute, but after well-known events we decided to transport them to the Isotope company, but some of them still remain. We are talking about cesium, cobalt and other radiation sources. After all, at any moment, bandits could enter the laboratory premises and lay their hands on powerful radioactive sources. This already smacks of nuclear terrorism.
If you work with IRS, then aren't you under state protection?
By itself. Our laboratory premises are under the protection of the Civil Defense Agency. At the time of the raider seizure, the institute’s employees called representatives of the state security. They arrived, stood around, and asked, is someone breaking into the laboratory? If not, then we have nothing to do here. They turned around and left. Apparently, no one wants to get involved with “Aidar”.
In September, on your website there was a message about the IAEA inspection, what conclusions did the inspectors come to?
On September 6-7 there was an inspection from the IAEA. The International Atomic Energy Agency monitors the activities of the Institute regarding the use of nuclear materials and undeclared activities. There is no official report on this inspection yet, but they did not enter the territory not controlled by the Institute. I cannot allow inspectors into the territory where armed people are walking. Therefore, they do not know what is there. Can you imagine how shocked the international inspectors were? For them this is nonsense, but for Ukraine it is reality.
Have you applied to the courts?
We filed a lawsuit with the Economic Court. The court made a half-hearted decision, namely, it obliged our invaders to leave the founders, and the court did not consider the property dispute. Despite the fact that the charter agreement clearly states that as soon as the institute leaves the founders, all state property must be returned to the fold of the institute. Then we went to the appeal court, and there the judges recused themselves. They probably don’t want to get involved with “Aidar” either. The next meeting is scheduled for October 10.
What conflict resolution scenario do you expect?
I hope that all the premises and all the land of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine will be returned to state ownership. But for this it is necessary that our law enforcement agencies provide the necessary level of protection of this state property. In the meantime, it turns out that this is the responsibility only of the administration of the institute.
I can also add that today scientific organizations of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine own significant property, consisting of buildings and the land on which they are located. This is a great value, according to some estimates, up to $40 billion. And it is necessary to ensure the protection of this state property by security forces. Otherwise, the time may soon come when raiders, based on such facts of impunity, will take control of not only the territory of the Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants, but also the sites of the nuclear power plants themselves.”
As PolitNavigator reported, Aidar militants stole a car along with the policeman.
See also: Yarosh said that he discussed with scientists the issue of producing nuclear weapons.
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