Chornobyl Plant’s Protective Shield Compromised by Drone Strike, UN Watchdog Reports
KYIV, Ukraine – The protective shield encasing the Chornobyl nuclear plant, built to contain radioactive material following the 1986 disaster, has lost its primary safety functions due to damage sustained in a drone strike, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced Friday. Ukraine attributes the February attack to Russia, a claim Moscow denies.
The degradation of the steel confinement structure, completed in 2019, raises concerns about the long-term safety of the site, even as radiation levels remain stable. While the structure’s load-bearing elements and monitoring systems were not permanently damaged, the loss of its confinement capability underscores the vulnerability of critical nuclear infrastructure during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the potential for future incidents at the site, which remains a source of radiological hazard for Europe.
An IAEA inspection conducted last week confirmed the impact from the February drone strike – occurring three years into Russia’s conflict in Ukraine – had degraded the structure. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stated the inspection “mission confirmed that the [protective structure] had lost its primary safety functions, including the confinement capability.”
Ukrainian authorities reported on february 14 that a drone carrying a high explosive warhead struck the plant, igniting a fire and damaging the protective cladding around reactor Number Four, the site of the 1986 explosion. Repairs have been undertaken,but Grossi emphasized that “thorough restoration remains essential to prevent further degradation and ensure long-term nuclear safety.”
the 1986 Chornobyl explosion released radiation across Europe,prompting a massive Soviet response. The plant’s last operating reactor was shut down in 2000. Russia occupied the Chornobyl plant and surrounding area for over a month in the initial phase of its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, attempting to advance on Kyiv. The IAEA inspection coincided with a broader assessment of damage to Ukrainian electricity substations caused by the nearly four-year war.
