The protective barrier around the Chernobyl nuclear disaster site can no longer confine radioactive waste due to a drone strike in February, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a statement Dec. 5.
An IAEA team completed a safety assessment of the protective cladding, named the New Safe Confinement (NSC), at Ukraine’s Chernobyl site. The international nuclear watchdog determined that since the NSC was “severely damaged” in the drone strike, it lost its “primary safety functions” which include its ability to confine radiation from the 1986 accident considered by many as the world’s most severe nuclear disaster.
The drone strike in question was a Valentine’s Day attack on the Chernobyl plant, which Kyiv blamed on Russia but the Kremlin has denied responsibility.
“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,” IAEA Director General Grossi said in the statement. “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.”
The statement added the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will help fund additional temporary repairs in 2026 to restore NSC’s confinement function.