If the information proves to be correct, it will be the third incident during the construction of the Astravets NPP. The load bearing structures were damaged while bridging the span between two reactors on 8 April 2016. The press also reported about an alleged incident in early June; however this information was not confirmed by Belarus institutions.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs continuously expresses its concern over the safety of the on-going construction of the Astravets nuclear power plant and raises the issue with the European Union, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), at the United Nations, and other organisations. At the meeting of Lithuanian and Belarusian experts in Vilnius on 21–22 June 2016, Lithuania suggested that Astravets NPP construction should be suspended before detailed risk and safety assessment tests (stress tests) are performed and the IAEA Site and External Events Design (SEED) mission produces its conclusions.
