Last night, a Russian attack drone carrying an explosive warhead struck the shelter of the destroyed 4th power unit at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the attack, stating: “This shelter was built by Ukraine together with other European and global partners, including America - everyone committed to real security for people. The only country in the world capable of attacking such facilities, occupying nuclear power plants, and conducting hostilities with no regard for the consequences is today’s Russia. This is a terrorist threat to the entire world.”
The strike caused damage to the shelter and ignited a fire, which has since been extinguished. Radiation levels remain stable and are continuously monitored.
“According to initial assessments, the damage to the shelter is significant,” Zelenskyy said.
He added that Russia carries out similar attacks against Ukrainian infrastructure and cities every night, continues expanding its military, and maintains its aggressive rhetoric.
“This means that Putin is certainly not preparing for negotiations - he is preparing to keep deceiving the world. That is why united pressure from all those who value life is necessary to hold the aggressor accountable. Russia must face consequences for its actions,” he emphasised.
The head of the Office of the President, Andriy Yermak, shared photos showing a large hole in the shelter’s roof and damage inside the structure.
“The drone hit the Chornobyl NPP. This is yet more proof that Russia is a threat to the entire world. Putin’s military deliberately attacked the Chornobyl nuclear power plant at night,” Yermak wrote.
The State Emergency Service confirmed that radiation levels remain within normal limits, with measurements at the ChNPP industrial site recording 0.57 μSv/h, which does not exceed permissible levels.
“Monitoring continues. The situation is under control,” the agency stated.
- On 24 February 2022, Russian troops advancing from Belarus entered the Chornobyl NPP zone. President Zelenskyy at the time called the invasion of Chornobyl a declaration of war on all of Europe.
- During their occupation, Russian forces damaged power lines to the Chornobyl nuclear plant and the city of Slavutych. Forest fires broke out in the exclusion zone, and the IAEA reported increased cesium concentrations. Nearly 12,000 hectares of the unique Chornobyl nature reserve were destroyed, with parts of the ecosystem lost forever.
- On 31 March, Russian forces withdrew from the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, signing an Act of Acceptance and Transfer of Security for the facility. They also took Ukrainian National Guardsmen prisoner.
- Later, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) confirmed cases of Russian nuclear terrorism in the exclusion zone, and some suspects were formally charged.