Lithuania submits report on Ignalina nuclear plant fire to Minsk

November 30, Pozirk. Belarus’ has received an official report from Lithuania about a recent fire at the decommissioned Ignalina nuclear power plant, the Ministry for Emergency Management in Minsk said.

The fire broke out on November 26 at the air filtering unit of the shot-blasting machine at the radioactive waste pre-treatment unit. It was quickly extinguished without injuries or the release of radioactive substances, the ministry said citing the report.

The incident was categorized as “no safety significance” (below scale/level 0) based on the scale of the International Atomic Energy Agency, it said, adding that no external assistance was required.

Lithuania submitted the report shortly after Minsk had issued an angry statement demanding that Vilnius honor its international obligations.

Minsk said the absence of communication was “cynical against the backdrop of Lithuania’s constant demands for so-called ‘transparency’ with regard to the Belarusian NPP. We are observing classical double standards.”

Tensions are rising between the two countries over irregular migration, repeated border closures, Minsk’s refusal to release hundreds of trucks stranded in Belarus and cigarette-smuggling balloons that have disrupted operations at Vilnius International Airport.

Lithuania suspended contacts with Belarusian officials after the 2020 presidential election, which it described as rigged, and has not recognized Alaksandar Łukašenka as president. Vilnius provided shelter for Łukašenka’s exiled rival, Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja.

Politics

Politics

Minsk outraged by Vilnius’s refusal to engage

November 28, Pozirk. Minsk has expressed frustration over the lack of communication from Lithuania regarding a recent fire at the decommissioned Ignalina nuclear power plant. Lithuanian firefighters on November 26 extinguished a minor blaze at the facility, which is located …

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