A Russian drone struck the Chernobyl nuclear power plant on Thursday night, damaging the protective structure over the 4th power unit, according to a post on X by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The attack, which occurred near Ukraine's border with Belarus, ignited a fire that was later extinguished, and radiation levels remained within normal limits. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported that its team on-site heard an explosion and later confirmed that the roof of the New Safe Confinement structure had been hit.
The shelter, completed in 2017 after decades of international efforts, was designed to contain the remains of the reactor, which exploded in 1986, spreading radioactive contamination across Europe. Meanwhile, Ukraine's military reported that Russia launched a massive overnight drone assault, with 133 drones targeting multiple regions.
The attack comes just before the Munich Security Conference, where world leaders are set to discuss the ongoing war, as tensions rise over new diplomatic manoeuvres from the United States and Russia. For now, it remains to be seen how Ukraine and its allies will respond to this latest attack.
<social>https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1890298190848749856</social>