A drone strike has damaged a protective shield at the Chornobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine, rendering it unable to contain the radioactive material from the 1986 explosion of the plant, the United Nations nuclear watchdog said.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Friday that the shield can no longer perform its main safety function, following an inspection of the steel structure last week.
The agency found the drone impact had degraded the shield in February, in a strike Ukraine has accused Russia of carrying out, with the two countries’ ongoing conflict now in its fourth year.
Throughout the war, Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of blocking the rotation of staff from the IAEA at the Zaporizhzhia facility and of risking a potentially devastating nuclear disaster by attacking the site.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said in a statement that the inspection “mission confirmed that the [protective structure] had lost its primary safety functions, including the confinement capability, but also found that there was no permanent damage to its load-bearing structures or monitoring systems”.
Grossi said repairs had already been carried out “but comprehensive restoration remains essential to prevent further degradation and ensure long-term nuclear safety”.
The UN reported on February 14 that Ukrainian authorities said a drone with a high-explosive warhead struck the plant, caused a fire and damaged the protective cladding around reactor number four, which was destroyed in the 1986 Chornobyl explosion.
