The protective structure at the Chernobyl nuclear site can no longer perform its main safety function after damage suffered in a drone attack on February 14, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has announced. The alarm was raised by general director Rafael Mariano Grossi, who this week sent additional staff to the Ukrainian headquarters for a full assessment of the situation.
What happened on February 14th
On February 14, the United Nations reported that a drone attack had caused a fire at the Chernobyl power plant, damaging the protective structure of reactor four. Kiev blamed Moscow for the attack, but the Kremlin denied all charges. The UN had reassured that radiation levels had remained normal and that no radioactive leaks had occurred. The power plant, inactive for over twenty years, had already been the scene of Russian military occupation for over a month at the start of the invasion in February 2022. In parallel, the IAEA had conducted inspections on the site and verified the damage to the electricity infrastructure caused by the conflict.
The inspection
The inspection mission, requested by the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU), involved experts from the IAEA’s Nuclear Safety and Security Department, who joined the Chernobyl Support and Assistance Mission, continuously present on the site since January 2023.
Inspectors confirmed that the protective structure had lost its primary safety functions, including containment capacity, but found no permanent damage to load-bearing structures or monitoring systems. The so-called “New Safe Confinement” (NSC), completed in 2016 to cover the Refuge Object which contains the remains of the Unit 4 reactor which exploded in the 1986 disaster, has suffered significant structural damage which has compromised both its containment function and its expected operational life.
Limited temporary work has been carried out on the roof, but complete and timely restoration remains essential to prevent further deterioration and ensure long-term nuclear safety
Grossi said, underlining the urgency of the situation.
The attack did not cause any release of radioactive material, but the structural consequences require immediate and definitive intervention. During the ongoing mission, the IAEA team is reviewing the measures currently in place to mitigate risks and discussing with facility managers plans to fully restore the protective structure to functionality and address any potential nuclear safety issues.
