OREANDA-NEWS. September 26, 2008. Over 800 people from 19 federal ministries and departments and over 60 vehicles took part in the exercise with 23 experts from France, Germany, Sweden, Korea, Ukraine, Armenia and Iran observing the event.

Representatives of the Crisis Center of Energoatom Concern, the Crisis Center of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation, Rostekhnadzor, Novovoronezh Emergency Response Center, Kurchatov Institute, Emergency Ministry and Interior Ministry of Russia, doctors, meteorologists, employees of nuclear power plants provided the trainees with technical support. A group of specialists of the Emergency Response Group of Energoatom Concern — radiation safety specialists, rescuers, doctors, meteorologists – came from Moscow to take part in the exercise.

Complex emergency response exercises are conducted each year at one of the Russian nuclear power plant. It was the first time Volgodonsk NPP hosted such an event.

Director of Volgodonsk NPP Alexander Palamarchuk said that the objective of the exercise was:

• 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.

The commander of the exercise Nikolay Sorokin said that the trainees acted well. The foreign observers said that the personnel of the plant were well prepared to respond to possible accidents and to interact with rescuers.

The trainees put out a simulated fire, localized consequences of a simulated accident, took measures to ensure radiation safety.
A group of residents of Volgodonsk was evacuated to a safe place and provided medical assistance.
The exercise was controlled by the Crisis Center of Energoatom Concern in Moscow by means of video communication.
Russian and foreign mass media provided a wide coverage of the event.
During the exercise Volgodonsk NPP was operating according to the schedule.