Zelenskyy and IAEA director general visit Chornobyl Museum, while Ukraine's interior minister reports on Chernobyl confinement

KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO - 26 April, 16:53

Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi took part in the opening of a new permanent exhibition at the National Chornobyl Museum. Zelenskyy also received a report from Ukraine's interior minister on efforts to deal with the aftermath of the Russian strike on the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) confinement.

Source: Zelenskyy's website

Details: Marking the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster, Zelenskyy and Grossi attended the opening of the museum's new permanent exhibition, Chornobyl: People and Meanings.

During the opening, Zelenskyy heard a report from Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko on the work to address the aftermath of the Russian strike on the Chornobyl NPP confinement.

Klymenko outlined the work already carried out following the Russian strike on the confinement on 14 February 2025. He also spoke about the next necessary steps and stressed the importance of support from international partners.

Zelenskyy and Grossi discussed the efforts and resources required for the full reconstruction of the confinement.

Update: Later, Zelenskyy said that during his meeting with Grossi, the Ukrainian president stressed the inadmissibility of formalising or legitimising Russia's presence at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

"We discussed temporary disconnections of NPP units from the power supply, reductions in their output and the possible consequences of these criminal actions. For the safe operation of the plant, it must be returned under the management of Ukraine's licensed operator and nuclear regulator. We agreed to continue IAEA missions to ensure constant monitoring of the situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP," he added.

Background:

On the night of 13-14 February 2025, Russia conducted a targeted drone strike on the arch of the New Safe Confinement at the Chornobyl NPP. The attack damaged both the outer and inner shells of the structure, as well as the equipment of the main crane system.
Early estimates suggested that more than €500 million will be required to fully restore the confinement's functionality.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!