Legal regulation of population protection during radiation emergency situations at nuclear power plants under martial law

Peculiarities of legal regulation of population protection during radiation emergency situations at nuclear power plants under martial law conditions have been studied. The decisive link is the prevention of emergency situations at NPPs, the provision of deep-echeloned five-level protection of NPPs in accordance with NP 3062.141-2008 “General provisions for the safety of nuclear plants”. In wartime conditions, additional threats to the NPP as a critical infrastructure facility should be taken into account, including cyber terrorism, cyberespionage, threats of terrorist acts, threats of missile attacks, information threats, as well as the threat of loss of power supply for the NPP’s own needs. The need to create a regulatory body in Ukraine for the implementation of state policy on nuclear and radiation safety issues, as a state collegial body of executive power with a special status, through the adoption of the relevant Law, with the determination of the features of the state regulation of nuclear and radiation safety during the period of martial law, in particular to determine by law, is substantiated conditions for introducing maximum autonomy in NPP management, maximum simplification and minimal intervention in NPP operation while preserving all actions related to ensuring nuclear and radiation safety; proper organization of interaction with the public. According to the results of the study, taking into account the experience of the EU, it is proposed to introduce a system of independent advisory and advisory bodies based on the National Commission for Radiation Protection of the Population of Ukraine (NKRZU), which was formed in accordance with the Declaration on the State Sovereignty of Ukraine of July 16, 1990, as a permanently active higher independent collegial scientific and expert advisory body on anti-radiation protection and radiation safety of the population of Ukraine, with the aim of identifying problematic issues and providing recommendations on the specifics of developing plans for the protection of personnel and the population in the event of radiation accidents at nuclear plants. The research uses the general dialectical method, the method of scientific knowledge, the method of interpreting legal norms, the formal legal method, the comparative legal method, and the method of systemic analysis.