Russian attack drone attacks Chornobyl NPP: shelter of Unit 4 damaged
Russian troops have attacked the shelter of Unit 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant with a drone carrying an explosive warhead. The attack resulted in a fire, which has been extinguished, but the facility sustained significant damage. The radiation background remains normal.
Source: interfax
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the attack, emphasizing that the facility was built through international cooperation to ensure the safety of people around the world.
“The only state in the world that can attack such facilities, occupy the territory of nuclear power plants and conduct hostilities, regardless of the consequences, is today’s Russia. And this is a terrorist threat to the whole world,” Zelenskyy said.
The President added that at the moment the radiation background has not changed, but the first estimates confirm serious damage to the shelter structure.
International Atomic Energy Agency confirms the explosion
The attack was confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). According to the organization, on the night of February 14 at 01:50, observers at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant recorded an explosion in the area of the New Safe Confinement (NSC), a protective shell covering the destroyed 4th reactor.
“The IAEA team at the Chornobyl site heard an explosion from the New Safe Confinement, which caused a fire. They were informed that an unmanned aerial vehicle had hit the roof of the NSC,” the agency said in a statement.
The IAEA also published a photo with damage to the roof of the shelter.
President Zelenskyy emphasized that Russia continues its attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure and cities, builds up its army and maintains aggressive rhetoric.
“This means that Putin is definitely not preparing for negotiations. He is preparing to continue deceiving the world. That is why we need united pressure from everyone who values life – pressure on the aggressor. Russia must be held accountable for what it is doing,” Zelensky emphasized.
Ukraine calls on the international community to increase sanctions pressure on Russia and take measures to prevent further attacks on critical infrastructure, which poses a danger not only to Ukraine but also to the whole world.
