Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Friday that a Russian drone caused significant damage to the radiation containment shelter at the disused Chornobyl nuclear power plant. Despite the damage, Zelenskyy and the UN atomic energy watchdog confirmed that radiation levels remained normal.
The incident occurred as global leaders convened at the Munich Security Conference to address the ongoing war in Ukraine. Chornobyl’s chief engineer, Oleksandr Tytarchuk, revealed that the drone exploded inside the containment structure, damaging the system designed to prevent radioactive material from spreading.
Ukraine’s SBU security service identified the drone as a Russian Geran-2, also known as the Iranian-designed Shahed-136, claiming it was targeting the reactor enclosure. Emergency crews are working to mitigate the aftermath, but Tytarchuk warned that the explosion compromised the structure’s protective function.
The attack reignited concerns over the safety of the New Safe Confinement, a $2.26 billion shelter completed in 2019 with contributions from 45 countries, including Canada and the U.S. Zelenskyy called the strike another example of Russia’s aggression, emphasizing its risks to nuclear security.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the claims, accusing Zelenskyy of staging the attack to sway Western allies for more military support. However, Ukrainian officials shared evidence of the incident, heightening international outrage during the Munich conference.
Source: Swifteradio.com
