A Russian drone with a high-explosive warhead hit the protective confinement shell of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Kyiv region during the night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
Radiation levels have not increased, Mr Zelensky and the UN atomic agency said.
During the night of 13-14 Feb, at around 01:50, IAEA team at the Chornobyl site heard an explosion coming from the New Safe Confinement, which protects the remains of reactor 4 of the former Chornobyl NPP, causing a fire. They were informed that a UAV had struck the NSC roof. pic.twitter.com/Ee5NSRgDo8
— IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency ⚛️ (@iaeaorg) February 14, 2025
The drone strike damaged the structure and started a fire – which has been put out, Mr Zelensky added.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said the strike occurred at 1.50am local time. 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”.
Discover more from World Byte News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
