Russian Drone Strike on the New Safe Confinement above Chornobyl NPP Unit 4

On 14 February, at 01:54 a.m., a russian combat drone struck the New Safe Confinement of the Shelter over Chornobyl NPP Unit 4, the site of the world’s worst man-made disaster in 1986. The event was recorded by experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) monitoring mission, which is permanently stationed at the Chornobyl NPP site.

The strike and the resulting fire damaged the outer shell of the New Safe Confinement and equipment in the crane maintenance garage. Fire suppression efforts and damage assessment are ongoing. Additional evaluation is required to determine the impact of the event on safety of the New Safe Confinement and the Shelter.

According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, current radiation levels remain within permissible limits. At the Chornobyl NPP industrial site, measurements recorded 0.57 μSv/h, which does not exceed the permissible limits.

It is worth noting that the construction of the New Safe Confinement over the Shelter was funded through the Chornobyl International Cooperation Account, administered by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and was completed in 2019 as part of the program to transform the Shelter into an environmentally safe system.