The protective shield at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is no longer able to fully contain radioactive material from the 1986 disaster after being damaged in a drone strike, the UN nuclear watchdog reported Friday.
The structure, known as the New Safe Confinement (NSC), was “severely damaged” during a February 14 drone strike, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Ukraine blamed Russia for the attack, which the Kremlin denied. “The NSC has lost its primary safety functions, including its ability to confine radioactive material,” the agency said.
The $2.3 billion arch-shaped structure, completed in 2019, was designed to encase Chernobyl’s Number 4 reactor and protect it from wind, snow, and rain. Weighing 36,000 tons and standing 345 feet tall, 540 feet long, and spanning 840 feet, it was hailed as one of the 50 most influential engineering projects of the past 50 years. Funded by the Chernobyl Shelter Fund, it was built to last a century.
The drone strike triggered a large fire that damaged the shield’s outer coating, but the IAEA said its load-bearing structures and monitoring systems remained intact. The extent of the environmental threat or risk to Kyiv, located 80 miles away, remains uncertain, though a major hazard does not appear imminent.
Chernobyl was the site of history’s worst nuclear accident on April 26, 1986, when a reactor meltdown caused by flawed design and operator error led to a steam explosion and fires, releasing at least 5% of the radioactive core into the surrounding area. Two plant workers died immediately, and 28 more in the following weeks, while over 350,000 people were displaced.
“Limited temporary repairs have been carried out on the roof, but timely and comprehensive restoration remains essential to prevent further degradation and ensure long-term nuclear safety,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. The agency has recommended improvements and pledged funding from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to restore the structure’s confinement function.
“The IAEA – which has a team permanently at the site – will continue to do everything it can to support efforts to fully restore nuclear safety and security at the Chornobyl site,” Grossi added.
Russian forces seized Chernobyl early in their war against Ukraine in February 2022 but returned control to Ukraine a month later.