Russia Selenskyj: Russian drone damaged Chernobyl shell
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a Russian drone has damaged the protective shell around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which exploded almost 40 years ago.
14.02.2025, 10:35
SDA
A fire had been extinguished and radiation levels had not increased, Selenskyj wrote on Telegram. However, the damage is significant. "There is one country in the world that can attack such objects, that occupies the territories of nuclear power plants and conducts hostilities without even thinking about the consequences - and that is Russia today."
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed the incident. At around 1:50 a.m. local time (0:50 a.m. CET) that night, the international nuclear observers stationed there heard an explosion on the sarcophagus around the damaged reactor four. They were then informed that a drone had hit the roof of the nuclear power plant, according to an IAEA statement.
A reactor exploded at the then Soviet nuclear power plant in Chernobyl on April 26, 1986. The Chernobyl nuclear disaster is considered the world's worst reactor accident. Due to the radiation, not only did the power plant have to be shut down, but neighboring villages also had to be evacuated. Thousands of people suffered severe radiation damage during the rescue and recovery work. A new sarcophagus was built over the first protective shield with international assistance from 2010, which was officially inaugurated in 2019.
In 2022, shortly after the start of the war of aggression ordered by Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, Russian troops occupied the site of the nuclear power plant. However, they were later forced to withdraw.
