Kiev, Ukraine – The protective structure encasing the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant has sustained damage, raising concerns about its ability to contain radioactive materials, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The agency’s findings follow reports of a drone strike earlier this year, with Ukraine accusing Russia of being responsible.
The IAEA’s inspection team, which visited the site last week, assessed the steel confinement structure completed in 2019. The assessment concluded that the impact from the February drone strike had degraded the structure, compromising its primary safety functions.
“The inspection confirmed that the protective structure has lost some of its essential safety functions, including its containment capability,” stated IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi. However, he added that the team found no immediate or permanent damage to the structure’s load-bearing components or monitoring systems.
While initial repairs have been undertaken, Grossi emphasized the need for a comprehensive restoration plan to prevent further deterioration and ensure long-term nuclear safety at the site.
Reports from the United Nations in February indicated that a drone, allegedly carrying a high-explosive warhead, struck the plant, causing a fire and damaging the protective cladding around Reactor Number 4, the reactor destroyed in the catastrophic 1986 accident. At the time, Ukrainian authorities stated that radiation levels remained normal and stable, with no reported leaks.
Ukrainian officials have attributed the drone attack to Russia, a claim Moscow denies. The 1986 Chernobyl disaster resulted in widespread radiation across Europe, prompting a massive response to contain the fallout. The plant’s last operating reactor was shut down in 2000.
Russian forces occupied the Chernobyl site and surrounding area for over a month in the early stages of the war in Ukraine in February 2022. The IAEA continues to monitor the situation closely.
