KYIV, Ukraine – A Russian drone carrying a high-explosive warhead struck the protective confinement shell of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (CNPP) in the Kyiv region overnight, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported on Friday.
Despite the alarming attack, radiation levels remain stable, according to both Zelenskyy and the U.N. atomic agency (IAEA).
Details of the Attack
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that the strike occurred at 1:50 a.m. local time (2350 GMT). Ukrainian officials stated that the explosion damaged the structure and ignited a fire, which emergency teams quickly extinguished.
The IAEA reassured the public that there was “no indication of a breach in the inner containment shell.”
Chernobyl’s Protective Structure
The confinement shell was constructed in 2016 to enclose Reactor 4, the site of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster—one of the worst nuclear accidents in history. The structure was designed to prevent further radioactive contamination from leaking into the atmosphere.
Ongoing Nuclear Threats in Ukraine
The three-year-long war between Russia and Ukraine has repeatedly raised concerns over nuclear safety.
Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest nuclear facility, remains under Russian occupation, adding to fears of potential nuclear disaster in the conflict.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to warn that the Chernobyl attack and recent military escalations near Zaporizhzhia highlight “persistent nuclear safety risks.” The IAEA, he added, remains “on high alert.”
Russian officials have not yet commented on Ukraine’s claims regarding the attack. Independent verification of responsibility is currently unavailable.
Global Reactions and Concerns
As the war continues, nuclear safety experts urge immediate de-escalation to prevent further risks to Ukraine’s four nuclear power plants. The Chernobyl incident is a stark reminder of the potential dangers of military conflict near sensitive nuclear sites.to independently confirm Ukraine’s claim of Russian responsibility.
Zelenskyy said that the drone strike damaged the structure and started a fire, which has been put out.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said the strike occurred at 1:50 a.m. local time (2350 GMT). It said there was “no indication of a breach in the … inner containment” shell.
The shell is a protective cover built around the fourth reactor of the plant, which exploded in 1986, causing one of the worst nuclear accidents in nuclear history.
Built in 2016, the shell is designed to limit the release of radioactivity left in the reactor to the atmosphere.
The three-year Russia-Ukraine war has brought repeated warnings of dangers to Ukraine’s four nuclear plants, especially at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, which is Europe’s biggest and one of the 10 largest in the world.
IAEA chief Rafael Rossi, said on X that the strike at the CNPP and the recent increase in military activity near the Zaporizhzhia plant “underline persistent nuclear safety risks,” adding that the IAEA remains “on high alert.”
