(Updated: )
Editor's note: This story has been updated with the latest information on the attack.
A Russian attack drone struck the protective shelter of the destroyed 4th reactor at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported on Feb. 14.
The strike damaged the sarcophagus, but the fire was extinguished and radiation levels remained stable, according to the president. Monitoring efforts continue to assess any potential risks.
"This is a terrorist threat to the entire world," Zelensky said, adding that the damage to the shelter is significant.
"The only country in the world that attacks such sites, occupies nuclear power plants, and wages war without any regard for the consequences is today's Russia."
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed the explosion. The organization reported that a drone struck the shelter's roof.
Chornobyl, the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster, remains a highly sensitive location. The explosion of the plant's reactor on Apr. 26, 1986, contaminated a vast area spanning Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia.
The sarcophagus was installed over the 4th reactor in the aftermath of the disaster to contain the uranium, plutonium, and radioactive dust at the site. The protective structure would only last 30 years, with the construction of a new sarcophagus completed in 2017.
"Ukraine is urging the international community to urgently intensify efforts in response to Russia's unprecedented act of nuclear terrorism. The attack on the shelter of the 4th power unit at Chornobyl poses a threat to the entire continent," said Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko.
Zelensky said the attack underscores Russia's continued disregard for global security.
"Russia continues to expand its army and shows no change in its deranged, anti-human state rhetoric. This means that Putin is definitely not preparing for negotiations — he is preparing to continue deceiving the world," he said.
Russia attacked the station's protective shelter on the day of the Munich Security Conference. Zelensky is leading Ukraine's delegation at the conference, where U.S. President Donald Trump's team is expected to outline its diplomatic strategy for ending Russia's war against Ukraine.
Andriy Yermak, head of Zelensky's office, said Ukraine would provide the U.S. with detailed information on Russia's attack on Chornobyl's protective shelter.
He also noted strong anger at the Munich Security Conference, with attendees expressing genuine outrage over the attack, recalling how the world had helped the Soviet Union during the 1980s disaster.
The Chornobyl plant, located about 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of Kyiv and just 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the border with Belarus, was briefly occupied by Russian forces in the early days of the full-scale invasion.
They held the station's staff hostage, creating significant risks to nuclear safety.
On Mar. 31, 2022, Russian troops withdrew from the station. During the occupation, increased radiation levels were recorded due to the movement of heavy machinery that stirred up contaminated dust.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
