Chornobyl nuclear plant radiation shield struck by Russian drone, Ukraine says – National | Globalnews.ca

A drone armed with a warhead hit the outer protective shell of Ukraine’s Chornobyl nuclear power plant early Friday, damaging the structure and starting a fire, in an attack Kyiv blamed on Russia.

The protective shield around the fourth reactor sustained a large hole from the hit. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the situation is being monitored to assess any potential risks.

“Last night, a Russian attack drone with a high-explosive warhead struck the shelter protecting the world from radiation at the destroyed 4th power unit of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant,” Zelenskyy said Friday.

“This shelter was built by Ukraine together with other countries of Europe and the world, together with America — all those committed to real security for humanity. 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.

“This is a terrorist attack for the entire world.”

Zelenskyy shared security camera footage of the moment a bright flash lit up the dark sky at the power plant before a large fireball rose from the roof of the structure. Aerial footage showed flames shooting from the hole created by the drone.

“The shelter at the Chornobyl NPP was damaged by this drone. The fire has been extinguished. As of now, radiation levels have not increased and are being constantly monitored. According to initial assessments, the damage to the shelter is significant,” Zelenskyy continued.

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Zelenskyy said Russia “carries out such attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure and cities” every night.

“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. That is why there must be unified pressure from all who value life – pressure on the aggressor. Russia must be held accountable for its actions,” he concluded.

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Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied Russia was responsible.

“There is no talk about strikes on nuclear infrastructure, nuclear energy facilities. Any such claim isn’t true, our military doesn’t do that,” Peskov said in a conference call with reporters.

Radiation levels at the shuttered plant in the Kyiv region — the site of the world’s worst nuclear accident — have not increased, according to the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which said the strike did not breach the plant’s inner containment shell.

The IAEA did not attribute blame, saying only that its team stationed at the site heard an explosion and was informed that a drone had struck the shell, which was originally built to contain the remnants of the Chornobyl disaster and designed to prevent radiation leaks and safeguard the site.

“Fire safety personnel and vehicles responded within minutes. At this moment, there is no indication of a breach in the NSC’s inner containment. Radiation levels inside and outside remain normal and stable. No casualties reported. IAEA continues monitoring the situation,” the IAEA added.

Ukraine plans to provide detailed information to U.S. officials about the Chornobyl strike during the Munich Security Conference starting Friday, the head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, Andrii Yermak, wrote on his Telegram channel.

The strike came two days after U.S. President Donald Trump upended U.S. policy on Ukraine, saying he would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the war. The move seemed to identify Putin as the only player that matters and looked set to sideline Zelenskyy, as well as European governments, in any peace talks.

Fighting around nuclear power plants has repeatedly raised fears of a nuclear catastrophe during three years of war, particularly in a country where many vividly remember living through the 1986 Chornobyl disaster, which killed at least 30 people and spewed radioactive fallout over much of the Northern Hemisphere.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is Europe’s biggest, has occasionally been hit by drones during the war without causing significant damage.

—With files from The Associated Press

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