KYIV, Ukraine – A drone attack early this morning caused a fire on the building confining the remains of the reactor destroyed in the 1986 Chornobyl accident, a deeply concerning incident that underlines the persistent risks to nuclear safety during the military conflict, director general Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said.
The IAEA team based at the site – who heard the explosion at 01:50 am local time followed by smoke and associated fire visible from their dormitory rooms – were informed by Ukraine that a drone had struck the New Safe Confinement (NSC), a large structure built to prevent any radioactive release from the damaged reactor unit 4 and to protect it from any external hazard.
Fire safety personnel and vehicles arrived at the scene within minutes to extinguish the blaze, which still could be seen intermittently for several hours afterwards.
The IAEA team could see a breach of the outer layer of the NSC that occurred following the detonation. Supplementary information from Ukraine’s regulatory body received this morning confirmed that the outer cladding of the NSC arch sustained damage, and investigations are ongoing to determine the status of the inner cladding.
Radiation levels inside and outside the NSC building remain normal and stable, the IAEA team was informed. There were no reports of casualties.
Coming soon after a recent increase in military activity near Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), director general Grossi said it once again demonstrated that nuclear safety remains under constant threat for as long as the conflict continues.
“There is no room for complacency, and the IAEA remains on high alert,” he said. “I once again call for maximum military restraint around Ukraine’s nuclear sites.”
The IAEA will provide further updates about the situation at Chornobyl as relevant information becomes available.
Following this week’s cancellation of a planned rotation of IAEA staff based at the ZNPP, Director General Grossi said he was in contact with both sides to ensure safe passage of the Agency teams as soon as possible. The IAEA has been present at the ZNPP since September 2022 to monitor and assess nuclear safety and security and help prevent an accident.
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