Lithuania’s competent authorities and the public were not informed about the incident, which occurred more than two months ago. According to Belarusian media reports, the incident took place on 17 February, when the reactor’s emergency protection systems were being tested. The distribution board burned down during the fire.
The diplomatic note requests to thoroughly investigate the causes of the fire and to immediately inform about the details of the incident as well as the actions taken.
According to the assessment of Lithuanian nuclear safety experts, a thorough analysis of the causes and consequences of the fire is required, as this could have negative effects on safety and security of the Ostrovets NPP during the operational phase.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania notes that six incidents known to Lithuania occurred in the Ostrovets NPP in 2016, which raised serious doubts as to the quality of the development of the project and the potential environmental impact.