At around 2 a.m. on February 14, 2025, a Russian-made Shahed drone targeted the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, inflicting substantial damage to its containment structure known as the New Safe Confinement (NSC), reports the Baltimore Chronicle, citing The Guardian.
Completed in 2017 at a cost of €1.5 billion, the NSC was built to seal off the remains of Reactor No. 4, which exploded during the 1986 disaster. The drone strike created a 15-square-meter hole in the outer shell of the dome and ignited a fire in the internal lining.
Firefighting efforts were hampered by radiation hazards and the complex structure of the site. It took two weeks to extinguish the fire using thermal imaging to locate smoldering hotspots.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that radiation levels remained within safe limits. However, experts warned that the breach may lead to long-term risks such as corrosion and possible radioactive leakage over time.
Preliminary assessments estimate that repair costs could run into the tens of millions of dollars. The existing international reserve fund of €25 million has proven insufficient to cover restoration expenses, prompting calls for additional financial support from Western nations.
Ukraine’s government has already allocated more than ₴1.5 billion to maintain site safety and is negotiating a €400 million loan from the European Investment Bank for energy efficiency reconstruction.
While Russia denies responsibility and claims Ukraine staged the attack, Kyiv has labeled the incident an act of nuclear terrorism.
Repair efforts are further complicated by the site’s current military status and the disturbed radioactive soil left behind after previous Russian occupation. Experts note that full reconstruction may require dismantling and reinstalling the protective dome — a process that would only be feasible during peacetime.
Earlier we wrote that the National Guard conducted a military operation at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.