International Atomic Energy Agency director-general Rafael Grossi is scheduled to arrive at Chernobyl on Tuesday 26 April as head of the agency’s first full-fledged assistance mission of safety, security and safeguards experts to Ukraine.

The IAEA said the team will deliver equipment, conduct radiological assessments and restore safeguards monitoring systems.

Mr Grossi said the IAEA’s presence at Chernobyl will be of paramount importance for its activities to support Ukraine as it seeks to restore regulatory control of the plant and ensure its safe and secure operation. “It will be followed by more IAEA missions to this and other nuclear facilities in Ukraine in the coming weeks,” he said.

Earlier this week the IAEA said Ukraine had asked it for “a comprehensive list of equipment” it needs to operate nuclear power plants during the war with Russia.