Ukrainian engineers began temporary repairs on the structure covering the damaged Reactor 4 at the Chernobyl site. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed the work is underway on the New Safe Confinement (NSC), which was struck by a drone on February 14, 2025.
The drone strike caused a hole about 15 meters wide in the outer layer of the New Safe Confinement. Fires ignited following the impact, and the smoldering lasted for roughly three weeks.
The NSC structure was completed in 2016 to cover the original sarcophagus built after the 1986 accident. It was designed to contain radioactive materials for 100 years.
Fortunately, no increase in radioactive material levels was detected outside the structure after the attack. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi stated that the NSC is still performing its containment function.Ukrainian Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk called the attack "the pinnacle of cynicism and irresponsibility on the part of the Russians." She noted the drone hit the outer part of the structure, preventing a disaster. However, she added the facility was partially depressurized, losing some functions.
The Chernobyl plant, officially the V.I. Lenin Nuclear Power Station, was a large facility with four working reactors and two under construction before the 1986 nuclear disaster. Flaws in the RBMK-1000 reactor design led to an explosion during a test, releasing radioactive material across Europe.
Workers are currently focused on assessing the damage fully and carrying out short-term repairs. A plan for complete restoration is expected in June after the assessment is finished this month.
The attack on Chernobyl highlights the risks faced by nuclear facilities in Ukraine. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) also remains vulnerable, with the IAEA reporting sounds of explosions heard recently near the site. Other Ukrainian nuclear plants, including Khmelnytskyy, Rivne, and South Ukraine, continue operating but report nearby drone activity and required staff to shelter during an air raid at Khmelnytskyy.
Restoring the NSC is a high priority for Ukraine and the international community.
"Our goal is to renew it 100%," said Svitlana Hrynchuk, Ukraine's environmental protection and natural resources minister. "We must restore the facility's hermeticity, all its functions."
