In Kyiv region there are large-scale trainings on interdepartmental interaction during the elimination of radiological accident
According to the legend of the exercises, a fire started in the warehouse, where a large number of sources of ionizing radiation were stored after the explosion. There is a risk of damage to containers with radioactive material. Urgent evacuation of people from the fire zone, its extinguishing, radiation reconnaissance and dosimetric control, checking the location of the radiation source and blocking in the controlled area.
This scenario became the main one during the first day of interagency field exercises on the incident related to the probable loss of control over radioactive material, which are taking place at the International Center of the National Guard in the village of Stare in the Kyiv region.
The trainings take place within the framework of the international technical assistance project “Ukraine's readiness in the field of nuclear safety” funded by the Government of the United States of America through the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the contractor company “Raytheon” (project executor identified by the US side).
According to the interim Acting Head of the Department of International Cooperation of the Personal Staff of the Main Directorate of the National Guard Colonel Serhiy Maltsev, the goal of this project is to develop capabilities, as well as interdepartmental interaction during the detection and response to radiological threats or incidents.
“We sincerely thank the representatives of the US Department of Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the US Embassy in Ukraine and the contractor Raytheon for the opportunity to participate in this project and, in particular, the organization of interdepartmental field exercises,” Colonel Serhiy Maj said during the opening ceremony of the exercises Yeltsev.
About 100 participants take part in the exercises — soldiers of the National Guard, representatives of the National Police, the State Emergency Service, the State Border Service, the Security Service of Ukraine and local self-government. Specialized machinery and equipment provided by the American side as part of the project are also involved.
Field training involves three days of practical training in different scenarios. The first stage is extinguishing the fire at the facility and identifying the lack of sources of ionizing radiation. The next day will be their search, and in the end - the elaboration of a simulated traffic accident with a car carrying sources of ionizing radiation.
“Today, the National Guard of Ukraine is very rapidly reforming units of radiation, chemical and biological protection. We already have modern means of protection and equipment that are used not only during exercises, but also during the performance by the personnel of the units of the NGU units of service and combat tasks for their intended purpose. We actively adopt the experience of our international partners, in particular the United States of America, where radiation, chemical, biological protection is classified as a national security level,” said Colonel Ruslan Kricin, Head of the Department of Radiation, Chemical, Biological Protection — Head of the Environmental Safety Service of the Main Directorate of NGU.
One of the final results of the cooperation of the National Guard of Ukraine with the Threat Reduction Agency of the US Department of Defense should be the creation of modern training programs, close to NATO standards, as well as the construction of a training complex in the International Interdepartmental Multidisciplinary Center for the Training of Radiation Response Specialists chemical, biological and nuclear threats and other categories of personnel as needed.
Department of Information and Communication of the International Center of NGU
