Radioactive Contamination of a Passenger Vehicle Detected at Ustyluh Checkpoint

On 10 April 2024, when crossing the border of Ukraine at the Ustyluh International Automobile Checkpoint (Volyn region), the Yantar radiation complex was triggered on a Mercedes G 500 car.

A radiation survey was carried out in accordance with the requirements of the Cabinet Resolution No. 813 of 2 June 2003 “On Approval of the Procedure for Interaction between Executive Authorities and Legal Entities Operating in the Field of Nuclear Energy Use in Case of Detection of Radioactive Materials in Illicit Trafficking”. As a result, radioactive contamination of a passenger vehicle (radionuclide Ra-226) was detected.

The dosimetric measurement indicated maximum contamination of the car structure in the area of the transverse frame near the rear right and left wheels. No foreign radioactive object was identified. The equivalent dose rate of gamma radiation at a distance of 0.1 m from the vehicle surface was 27.0 μSv/h.

Information on the detection of illicit trafficking of radioactive material will be added to the IAEA Incident and Trafficking Database (ITDB).

According to the SNRIU