Chornobyl shelter under control after Russia’s February 14 drone strike — Ukraine’s Emergency Service

The press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported the information.

According to them, SES high-altitude rescuers are working on partially dismantling the shelter’s structures and extinguishing smoldering hotspots on the northern side of the arch.

They are also conducting continuous monitoring using drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras and handheld thermal imagers.

Despite the severity of the situation, officials emphasize that radiation levels at the Chornobyl industrial site remain within safe limits, posing no threat to the population.

This attack is yet another reckless provocation by Russia, targeting one of the most dangerous sites on the planet. While the response has been swift, the fact that such a strike even occurred is alarming. It underscores how little regard Moscow has for global nuclear safety.

Russian drone strike on Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant power unit

A Russian UAV with a high-explosive warhead struck the shelter of the 4th power unit of the Chornobyl NPP during the night of February 14, causing significant damage.

The following day, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha, met with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to discuss the incident at Chornobyl. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy urged the IAEA to intensify efforts to prevent attacks on nuclear facilities.

On February 16, representatives of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspected the Chornobyl NPP shelter. During their assessment, the IAEA team recorded that the drone strike had damaged both the external and internal layers of the shelter’s arch. A hole approximately 6 meters in diameter had formed, and some equipment and electrical cables were also damaged. However, the support beams did not sustain significant damage.

Repairs to the shelter are expected to begin once the fire is fully extinguished. Meanwhile, IAEA representatives confirmed Ukrainian authorities’ reports that radiation levels at the site remain unchanged.

On February 17, three smoldering spots in the roof insulation of the Chornobyl NPP shelter were discovered, and efforts to extinguish them are ongoing.

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has allocated over 1.5 billion UAH to maintain the Chornobyl NPP shelter in a safe condition.