Confinement structure at Chornobyl nuclear plant may not withstand another Russian strike
Serhii Tarakanov, the director of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) has said that another Russian hit could collapse the internal radiation shelter at the NPP.
Source: Serhii Tarakanov in an interview with AFP
Details: Tarakanov said that a full restoration of the shelter could take three to four years and warned that a further Russian strike could cause the inner shell to collapse.
Quote: "If a missile or drone hits it directly, or even falls somewhere nearby, for example, an Iskander, God forbid, it will cause a mini-earthquake in the area.
No one can guarantee the protective structure stays in place after that. That is the main threat."
More details: Tarakanov said that the hole caused by the drone strike has been covered with a protective screen, but about 300 smaller openings made by firefighters while putting out the blaze still need to be sealed.
He reported that radiation levels at the site remain "stable and within normal limits".
Background:
- A Russian loitering munition carrying a high-explosive incendiary warhead struck the shelter of Unit No 4 at the Chornobyl NPP on the night of 13-14 February.
- The New Safe Confinement structure at the Chornobyl NPP, built to contain radioactive material from the 1986 disaster, has been unable to perform its main safety function after damage caused by a drone, the UN's nuclear watchdog has said.
- The IAEA has sent additional experts to the Chornobyl NPP to carry out a comprehensive safety assessment of the New Safe Confinement after it was damaged by a Russian drone strike in February 2025.
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