On 27 April 2021, the 6th International Conference on Nuclear Decommissioning and Environmental Recovery INUDECO-2021 started at Chornobyl NPP and in the city of Slavutych. The conference is held as part of the National programme of events dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster and pursuant to the Decree of the President of Ukraine №556/2020 dated 9th December 2020 «On high priority efforts aimed at ensuring environmental safety, and preparation of events dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the Chronobyl disaster», in particular to consider the challenges and opportunities, enhance the efficiency of research and surveys, establish cooperation and exchange experience in the area of nuclear facilities decommissioning and management of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel.

Due to the worldwide situation connected with the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 INUDECO conference is held both in-person and online. Participants have decided themselves upon which participation format is safe for their health.

In advance of the conference opening, a meeting was held via Zoom with veterans of Ukraine’s atomic energy industry on topic «Prypiat town: Just a moment before…», and start of online Hackathon «The city of new ideas». The next day, in-person participants of the conference came to Chornobyl NPP site for a technical tour and break-out sessions.

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On April 26, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accompanied by the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, Head of the President’s Office Andriy Yermak, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine Roman Abramovskyi, Chairman of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU) Hryhorii Plachkov and other officials, visited the Chornobyl NPP site and the Exclusion Zone.

During the briefing at the industrial site of Interim Spent Fuel Dry Storage Facility (ISF-2), Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted: «Scientific and educational contents should be put into the history of the Chornobyl accident to motivate the people to develop all of this in a positive way. Today our goal is to transform the exclusion area – that what we say about the Chornobyl – into the area of revival. And, of course, our task is to do everything we can to improve the reliability and the safety, and to avoid and not repeat similar disasters in the future.»

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On April 27, the Chornobyl NPP was visited by the IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.

Mr. Grossi was accompanied by the Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine Roman Abramovskyi, Chairman of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine Hryhorii Plachkov, and managers of the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management.

Having speech at the foot of the New Safe Confinement (NSC) Mr Grossi stated: “Behind us is a piece of history; history of Ukraine and, of course, to a big extent, of all humanity. But also it is a sign of how a big challenge, like this [the accident at ChNPP and its consequences – ed.], can be tackled and can be dealt in an appropriate way.”

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On April 26, a ceremony of Chornobyl Atlantes monument unveiling took place near Chornobyl NPP Administrative Building. The power plant personnel were involved directly in the construction of the statuary and also financed the process. The central figure of this monument is the figure of the Hero of Ukraine Oleksandr Lelechenko who was the deputy chief of Electric Shop and who laid down his life to prevent a hydrogen explosion and the spread of accident to other ChNPP power units.

Acting ChNPP Director General Valeriy Seyda, First Deputy Head of the State Agency of Ukraine for Exclusion Zone Management Andrii Pliatsko, Deputy Technical Director (for safety) Oleksandr Novikov, who was this project idea man, initiator and promoter, participated in the ceremonial event.

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