Russian Drone Attack Strikes Chernobyl Nuclear Plant

Russian drone hit the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which was destroyed in 1986, near Ukraine’s border with Belarus on Thursday night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Ukraine’s State Emergency Service later confirmed that radiation levels remained within normal limits.

“A Russian attack drone with a high-explosive warhead struck the shelter protecting the world from radiation at the destroyed 4th power unit” at the plant, Zelensky stated on X.

He added that the concrete shelter covering the reactor was damaged, and a fire broke out but was extinguished. “Radiation levels have not increased and are being constantly monitored. According to initial assessments, the damage to the shelter is significant,” he said.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also addressed the incident on X, stating that shortly before 2 a.m. local time, its team at the Chernobyl site “heard an explosion coming from the New Safe Confinement, which protects the remains of reactor 4 of the former Chernobyl NPP, causing a fire.”

“They were informed that a UAV [drone] had struck the NSC roof,” the IAEA added.

Chernobyl’s Unit 4 reactor exploded in 1986, releasing vast clouds of radioactive material across parts of the Soviet Union and Europe. It was later enclosed in a concrete and steel sarcophagus to contain the radiation.

On the same night, the Ukrainian military reported that Russia launched 133 drones across Ukraine. Of these, 73 were shot down, while 58 failed to reach their targets. The figures align with the recent average of Russian drone strikes. The military noted that drones were intercepted in 11 regions, covering large parts of the country.

Zelensky, in his statement, linked the attack to Russia’s broader military strategy, saying that the ongoing drone strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure indicate that Russian President Vladimir Putin “is definitely not preparing for negotiations — he is preparing to continue deceiving the world.”