OREANDA-NEWS. September 24, 2008. Thousands of people and hundreds of vehicles are involved in such events. Such exercises are conducted each year at one of the Russian nuclear power plants.

The objective of the exercise is:

• to check up the preparedness of the personnel to liquidate the consequences of a possible accident;
• to coordinate international among the forces responding to a possible emergency;
• to check up the preparedness of the Emergency Response Group and the Crisis Center of Energoatom Concern;
• to improve the mechanisms of protection of the personnel, population and environment in case of an emergency.

A group of residents of Volgodonsk will be evacuated to a safe place and provided medical assistance.

The commanders will review the personnel and the equipment.

A group of specialists of the Emergency Response Group of Energoatom Concern — radiation safety specialists, rescuers, doctors, meteorologists – have come from Moscow to join the representatives of the local department of the Emergency Ministry, militia and administration.

The exercise will be controlled by the Crisis Center of Energoatom Concern in Moscow by means of video communication. The specialists of the Center will assess the situation and make recommendations.

A group of observers from Ukraine, Armenia, the United States, France, Germany, Sweden, Korea and Iran are observing the exercise.

Russian and foreign mass media are providing a wide coverage of the event.

Volgodonsk NPP is operating according to the schedule.