IAEA calls for significant renovation of Chernobyl shelter following drone strike

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned that the protective structure covering Chernobyls destroyed Fourth Reactor needs significant restoration due to damage linked to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stated on Friday that although minor temporary fixes were made to the roof, thorough and timely reconstruction is crucial to prevent further deterioration and maintain long-term nuclear safety.

A recent assessment by the agency concluded that the shelters protective capabilities were compromised following a drone strike in February. This includes weakened containment around the reactor, which exploded in 1986 during a safety test.

The IAEA has advised additional repair work and reinforced safety measures, such as improved moisture management, modernized corrosion monitoring systems and enhanced oversight of the concrete sarcophagus erected shortly after the disaster.

The Chernobyl plant was fully decommissioned in December 2000 after its final reactor was shut down. Preliminary repair operations are scheduled for next year to strengthen the newer shelter located roughly 100 kilometers north of Kyiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that in February a Russian drone struck the New Safe Confinement (NSC), the massive arch installed over the fourth reactor in 2016, though radiation levels remained unchanged. Moscow has denied attacking the site, which its forces occupied for 35 days early in the war before retreating.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, various incidents have affected Ukraines partially decommissioned nuclear facilities. In early October, Kyiv reported that the Chernobyl shelter lost power due to strikes on energy infrastructure. The Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant, occupied by Russian forces since March 2022, was without external electricity for nearly a month during autumn.

Author: Ethan Caldwell